Crossing The Line
by EpicNinjaWorld
Summary: Elena is a student at the University of Florida, Katherine is the mysterious stranger from the bar that throws her entire life around. What do you do when what you want is crossing the line? - AU.
1. Keep Your Head Up

**For those of you that've read What It's Like To Be You, this story is written by the same two authors.  
For new people, welcome to the crazy place.**

* * *

If anyone asked Elena why she picked the University of Central Florida out of all the scholarship offers she'd gotten, she wouldn't know what to reply. She honestly didn't have an idea why it became that one when there had been better and more interesting schools willing and wanting to have her. It was probably the weirdest thing in her life, ever.

Often she would return to her dorm, fling her bag on the bed and ask herself why she'd picked Florida out of all places. It was hot, it was crowded, and even when she didn't set foot on the beach all day she could find sand mingled into the sweat on her skin. Originally from a small town in rural Virginia, it was about half a day away from where she resided on her school's campus in Orlando, Florida and the world she was in now was so very different from the life she was used to.

It had been a year already.

Her freshman year had been a culture shock, going from a quiet town that was clouded 300 out of 365 days of the year to a city that hustled and bustled with activity and that saw more sun in a week than Richmond did in six months. It was hard to find like-minded people, especially among the huge mass of fashionistas that walked around carrying magazines and cups of latte coffee.

Though, she had to admit that her opinion on that kind of people had been altered ever since moving into her dorm, what with having a roommate like Caroline Forbes. She fit the stereotypes, pretty much perfectly, yet she was so not what Elena had expected her to be like. In her defense, in the hiccup town she came from a person like that was extremely rare. And when April, her best friend, was the only point of reference…

Well, Elena was just glad she'd had the chance to get to know Caroline and realize that prejudices really were something to ban out of her life. Which she did, or at least tried to.

Caroline had easily become her best friends. Three months into the school year and the blonde had convinced Elena to skip a Friday filled with classes so they could go to a concert out of state. They'd been in New York for the entire weekend and it had been a blast. It had been easy to shrug off nervousness over doing something illegal (skipping class), even for Elena. Then a string of parties, guys Caroline tried to set her up with.

They fell in a more uneventful phase when Caroline found 'the love of her life'; Stefan Salvatore, a Literature student with a massive forehead and angsty frowns, and they stopped hanging out as frequently. Every night, however, was story time. As they lay in bed Caroline would talk about whichever random but incredibly adorable thing Stefan had done. It had been no surprise when they finally got together and Elena was happy for her, though she did start to get tired over always hearing "Stefan this" and "Stefan that". She hoped that once they got together it would slow down.

She was so wrong.

Apparently Stefan had an older brother, and "God, Elena, he's _so _handsome. If it weren't for Stefan I'd so hook up with him," and from then on Elena might've as well gotten a minor in Salvatore Studies because every tidbit Caroline learned about Stefan and his family was directly passed on to Elena.

Elena knew why Caroline wanted so badly for her and Damon to get together, in some kind of indirect way that would make them sisters, but… She'd met Damon twice, and she couldn't say he'd made the best impression. Handsome he sure was, but he had the cockiness to match and he was more annoying than endearing.

Every following invitation to hang out with her best friend, her boyfriend and his brother she politely declined.

Caroline was still trying to set them up, for the sake of her future and the way her family would branch out with the people she loved most, but it became less frequent that she asked Elena out on a double date. Instead they grew closer again, doing more just the two of them.

Though most of those things really more often than not ended badly. Ended in having to spend a night in the slammers, waiting for someone to come pick them up. Ended in them getting matching tattoos on their wrists (a small and elegant ribbon, but a _tattoo _nonetheless, one of those that weren't there because they came within a cereal box and all it took was a bit of water… A tattoo she'd never be able to erase from her skin, _that _kind of tattoo,) or phone numbers written on their stomachs.

Despite how hectic her life had been, trying to juggle classes with a bubbly and hyperactive best friend, it had seemed much shorter than it had actually been. Before she'd even had the time to stand still long enough to wrap her head around everything that happened in just one year of college it had been exam time and she was permanently locked up in her room, writing final assignments between chapters of thick text books.

And then the school year slowly faded into summer break. A break that came right in time. Elena kissed Caroline goodbye, packed her bags and took the plane back to good ol' Virginia.

It felt amazing to be back in her old town, but it wasn't really the same. The tan, the new haircut, the new clothes (because Caroline had hijacked her closet and filled it with clothes she would never even dare to buy herself), the slightly off accent made it all too clear that she had been in a faraway state for a really long time. April had gone off to college in Richmond, Matt and Tyler opted not to pursuit further studies and instead began working. Jeremy had only just finished his senior year, but in the fall he would go to an arts college in New York, which was definitely a lot closer than Florida was.

So despite how much fun she had back in her old town, with her family and her friends, she felt like an alien among them. She was rewired by her long stay in Florida. She used to enjoy the silence, but now it had gotten too quiet. She used to love the forest, but the sand was a lot heavier and darker than the beach sand she was used to. It was a heavy feeling, one that reverberated through her chest whenever she realized that she had changed, against what she had wanted, and with doubts about whether or not it could be turned around.

That's why she decided to return early. She knew Caroline's family lived about half an hour away from the center of Orlando. They'd talked about that, because Elena had been confused as to why anyone would want to stay in a small dorm room when they had a mansion a bus ride away, but Caroline had wanted to live on her own (it was the thought that counted) and that was that. She couldn't get back to her dorm during the summer break, but maybe she _could _find a place in one of the plenty of guest rooms the Forbes' mansion had to offer.

A few phone calls later Elena found herself on her way back to Florida. And as opposed to the year before, she was looking forward to what was waiting on her.

* * *

It had been a long flight. Elena was blinking slowly when she finally walked into the main hall of the airport, one of her bags hanging from her shoulder, the strap cutting in her skin, the other one heavy as she tried to pull it along. She wouldn't mind a quick nap, not even in the least, and she felt like she was lulling to sleep already while standing on her feet when all of a sudden the air was knocked out of her lungs by two strong arms snaking around her body.

"Hmph, Care," Elena muttered, gasping for air, but hugged her back just as hard. The school year away from April had been a pain, especially in the beginning, but their friendship had always consisted out of conversations mostly – it was easy to continue that over texts, phone calls, Skype video chats and even the occasional letter. Nothing could quite make missing Caroline bearable. "I missed you," she whispered in the blonde's air, smiling brightly when she pulled back.

"That... is exactly what I like to hear," Caroline said, nodding, the pause in her sentence purely for a dramatic silence – oh Caroline – and she seemed to be quite proud of it, too. "Hold that thought, by the way. Remember that you love me and that you missed me and that it's all worth it."

Elena frowned, feeling her gut twist. She didn't like that tone, at all, and she could almost see the plans in Caroline's head in front of her own eyes.

"Do I even want to know what you have in tow for me?"

"Nope." She giggled, clapped her hand and took Elena's hand, dragging her out of the airport and into the Florida heat.

* * *

Elena had tried to enjoy the magnificent room she'd be staying in until fall semester started, a room that was all soft colors and amazing details. If she blocked out the sounds from outside, she could almost picture being in a castle back in the middle ages, with horses clacking over the wobbly roads. The four-poster bed with curtains that could be closed to shut the world out would definitely come in handy when Caroline's company got a bit too much, which had happened a few times in the past.

She knew she liked the room, a lot. But she couldn't focus on those feelings.

On the bed lay an outfit and a pair of shoes, and Caroline was already busy stripping out of her own clothes to put on a dark blue dress with a flower pattern and at the same time was curling her hair and applying make-up.

A party had been the last thing on her mind to do now, a nap the first.

"Come on now, Lena," Caroline sighed, flopping down on the bed next to where her friend was laying, face pressed into the sheets. "You're back in the sunshine state, we need to celebrate this. Stefan and Damon are picking us up in fifteen minutes for the pre-party at their house before we head over to a bar not too far away."

Elena made a sound that held the middle between a sob and a groan. Not only was she forced to go to a party, but she also had to be around Damon. She propped her head up and watched as Caroline put a slim brown belt around her waist and smoothed the few crinkles out of her dress. "You know I don't like parties."

Caroline chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "You _say _you don't like parties. But then when we arrive you have the time of your life. You've told me plenty of times that without me you'd probably be super bored."

"I was drunk those times!" Elena pouted, crossing her arms.

"And drunk people speak the truth. Tu tu tu-," Caroline glared at Elena, warning her not to try and remark anything, "now get ready. I picked this outfit myself, I'm sure it's going to look amazing on you."

So Elena, reluctantly, got off the bed and dragged the clothes into the bathroom joint to her room. The quick shower woke her up (she might as well, she knew she wouldn't be able to get out of this) then wriggled into the skinny black jeans.

She puffed her chest out as she stared into the mirror, her wet hair tangled and draped over her shoulders. The next time she'd look into the mirror she would see something a lot less appealing, that much was sure.

She proceeded with putting on a black tank top, while singing along to the song Caroline had put on on the other side of the door, the dark blue glittery top, then the black jacket. She rolled the sleeves up to her elbow and sighed, combing her fingers through her now damp hair.

To say she really wasn't looking forward to that night was an understatement, but at least Caroline had once again managed to make her look stunning. Speaking of, the blonde bounced into the bathroom and set her down on the edge of the bath tub, attacking the brunette with a curling iron, her make-up purse and a bottle of expensive-looking perfume.

Maybe, just maybe there was a tiny little bit of excitement boiling deep underneath the surface. Maybe...


	2. Devil in Disguise

**Thanks for the two reviews and the few people who are following this story. I know Kelena stories are less popular than other ships in here, but hopefully the few who are reading this will enjoy it as much we enjoy writing it! Now let's get to it!**

* * *

There they were, sitting at the bar; sex on the beach cocktail for Caroline, and a gin tonic for Elena. The pre-party had been the most awkward thing of her life, but - of course - Caroline had been so far up Stefan's ass to notice the big, pink and glittery elephant prancing around the room as Damon was sitting right next to her and the awkward tension could be cut with a knife.

He tried to talk to her, make eye contact but Elena was having none of it. Couldn't he just get the message?

At least they weren't alone, some friends they met in college were there as well, so Elena could easily avoid the dark-haired guy more than once.

After an hour of chatting and drinking they finally went to the stupid little bar not far from the Salvatore house. It wasn't big, but extremely popular. A lot of people could come and meet new people, or play some old-fashioned fun pool, but it wasn't really Elena's style.

"God, Elena, you look like you're slowly dying," Caroline huffed as she played with the little umbrella in her red and yellow cocktail.

"With those looks he's giving me, I feel like I am." She felt his stare on her back, it was like a laser trying to mark his name on her back like a tattoo. It was irritating her. She didn't know why she was getting his attention. She thought of herself as an unattractive and geeky school girl. He seemed like the lady killer type, the 'let's have sex everywhere' guy. The only person she'd actually had sex with was Matt, and that one time with Tyler but she was drunk and it was a huge mistake.

"Come on! He's smoking, how can you not like him?" Caroline was confused by this, she knew that he wasn't really the nicest guy in Florida, but with the way his shirt was showing his muscular body she would've made her move already if it wasn't for Stefan. What was she thinking? Stefan was a hell of a catch.

"I just don't know. I mean, you're right. He's the perfect dark knight, the cut-out reluctant anti-hero, but I don't get those-" Before Elena could finish her sentence, Caroline already cut her off by almost shoving her hand in her face, with a 'stop in the name of love' motion.

"I mean of course I want you to end up marrying him, and having his beautiful babies," Elena wanted to protest but the blonde continued her explanation, "but come on, live a little. I mean, just fuck him? Get that mouth of yours on his junk! And maybe you will feel something, and then I can have my perfect teenage dream, but if it ends up being nothing you can always shrug it off?"

The idea didn't sound too crazy. She was pretty sure that he would be a god in the bedroom. A guy flaunting his looks like that had to own that kind of quality, and with the stories she heard from 'people'…

But could she do something like that? Sleeping with a person she didn't even like, just to know how it felt like? No, she wasn't like those girls. Elena was loyal and passionate, or at least she thought she was.

"I'd rather not, I actually want to keep my reputation."

"You don't even have one." Ouch, right in the feels. Caroline really knew how to make someone feel like the most wonderful person in the world.

"I'm going to ignore that you just said that, and join the guys for some pool." The conversation was done, Elena didn't need to hear more about mister hottie pants and their possible hook-up.

Now that she was in that bar, she might as well make the best of it. Giving Caroline a small smile, she jumped from her seat and walked to the guys that were laughing at some joke Stefan made. It must have been good, because the laughs were pretty loud and seemed endless.

"What's so funny, you guys?" Elena joined in, making the guys stop laughing the moment she reached the pool table.

"Oh just guy stuff," Jason said awkwardly.

Elena frowned, eyeing all of them. "If you say so." She wasn't going to dwell on it. Guys and their private joke things, she'd never understand.

* * *

Elena was having a good time after all, the pool game turned into a very enjoyable event. Caroline ended up chatting with a friend at the bar, who had arrived later on the evening.

She was in the mood for a drink, all the laughing and joking around her made her very thirsty, so with an actual real smile on her face Elena strolled to back to the counter. She wasn't in the mood for alcohol so she ended up just ordering a coke instead.

"Oh my fucking Jesus Christ." If there was a priest in the room, Caroline would've probably been sent to hell for using the name of Jesus in vain.

"What is it?"

"I think I just saw Elena twice." Stefan frowned at the bouncy blonde, who clearly just clarified she was nuts.

"What in the hell are you- _fuck_." Either there was something in her drink, or did Stefan just see a duplication of Elena as well? Like in the movies, _Milkshake_ by Kelis started to play. It really was on the radio. Caroline would snort at the coincidence if she wasn't busy trying to wrap her head around how this was possible.

The so-called other Elena walked in the bar; her hair perfectly curled, it was a bit longer and more wavy than Elena's but you could still see the non-difference. Her killer legs were in full show and seemed even longer with the at least 10 inch black heels she was wearing. Her perfect slim body was wrapped in a wine-colored strapless dress. She was a devil in disguise, and all the boys in the yard - like Kelis would say - were staring at her in awe.

"What's going on you guys?" Elena asked confused as she walked to her friends with her drink in her hand. She didn't hear their conversation and obviously didn't notice the whole mean girls intro.

"Elena, I think America found out how to clone people."

What was she talking about? Clone? And then she saw it, the hot girl; no, the hot version of herself came walking closer to them. Her walk was elegant, confident, sexy, sensual as if the cheap floor of the bar was her fucking runway. "I think I'm going insane."

Was this possible? Was this _really _happening? She had heard the stories about there being someone looking a lot like you somewhere in the world. And there were twins. But even those looked a little bit different. This was two drops of water. The only thing that was different was the way she dressed.

"God, that's some fine piece of ass," Elena heard Damon say behind her, looking over her shoulder she noticed Damon, Jason and even Stefan looking at the new girl who just came walking in.

"Of course you think so, she looks like me," Elena hissed at Damon. She didn't really plan to sound so harsh, or sound like she was jealous, but come on! She could dress like that, not that she was planning to but she could.

"Are you jealous, Elena?" Damon smirked at her, and all she wanted to do was smack that smirk right of his face.

"Please, she looks like a hoe." With an annoyed huff Elena turned on her heels and wandered off, walking straight to the ladies room.

When she entered the tiled room she walked straight to the mirror and sighed. Elena started to prod her cheeks and glance at every bit of her body. "Why do I look so much like you?"

"You're asking the wrong question." Elena froze. Even her voice was practically the same. It was like when you record yourself and hear your own voice when you replay it on your computer. "You alright?" What could she say? 'No, I'm feeling unwell because I have a clone.' Should she even ask about the odd situation they were in?

"I'm alri-" Elena was once again confused out of her mind. She was gone. She didn't even hear the door open or close, it was like she was never even here.

"I need an aspirin."


	3. Club Tropicana

**Feels great to know that people like the story. I hope we can keep you entertained cause there are a lot of chapters written and going to be written! Well on to the next one.**

* * *

Elena sighed happily, stretching her arms. Caroline had convinced her to go to the beach with her and secretly she was glad to be out of the house. It was beautiful there, and Elena had been enjoying her stay more than she had enjoyed being back home, which was saying a lot since returning had been a blast – but after a while the walls would close in on her. She would be alone with her thoughts for too long and they would suffocate her.

Being out and about with one's bubbly best friend was the perfect remedy.

Sun bathing wasn't her usual favorite way of passing time, but for now it would do. And she couldn't deny that the sun scorching her skin didn't feel at least a little good. The heat seeped through her pores and filled her body with a warmth she hadn't felt in a while; probably since that day she arrived back in Orlando and she had finally seen Caroline again.

That day was a week ago. And with that, the party was a week ago, too.

Most of that night was a blur to Elena, and she hadn't recollected all her memories yet. She didn't really want to, though. The moment she had gotten back from the ladies' room she had started drinking like her life depended on it. What she had seen could sure not have been real.

She had woken up with a hangover and snuggled into Damon's back in the Salvatores' living room and she dragged Caroline out of the house and back to the Forbes' mansion and asked her to not drop a word about that night ever and that had been that. It had been a rush, but she was glad they had dealt with the situation before the meaning behind all of it really settled in.

The few memories she did remember, however, were the ones she had wanted to drink away. Her look-a-like, or her 'clone', and the way she had just snuck up on her and then just vanished were crystal clear in her mind.

It was confusing the living soul out of her, all of it was, but she had decided to not let it faze her and just carried on with her life, opting to pretend like she never went out that night to begin with.

So she had been spending the days reading in the garden, helping out around the house and sharing in Caroline's shores, she even spent some time with Caroline's cousin Connor who had come over a few days ago to visit "his favorite cousin in the whole wide world".

And now, she was at the beach. So far it was the distraction that lasted the longest.

She propped herself up on her arms, feeling several beads of sweat roll down her back. Caroline was flipping through a magazine, the aviators balancing on her nose in sharp contrast with the girly, frilly bikini she was wearing. Her friend managed to pull it off flawlessly though.

Then again, what _couldn't _she pull off flawlessly, Elena thought, a little bitter.

"What's it, Gilbert?" Caroline asked without looking up from the magazine, but somehow sensing that her friend was looking at her. "You can't have my magazine if that's what you want to ask, this article about tan lines is going to save my life."

"Not what I was going to ask," Elena quipped, smiling as she shook her head at her best friend's antics. "Just wondering if you wanted to go get ice cream with me once you're done reading the life-saving article? I'm starting to get unbearably hot, I could use the refreshment."

"Totally! I love ice cream."

Elena lay down on her towel again, this time on her back, kicking her foot a bit in the air. She watched the seldom cloud drift by and listened to the surrounding noises as she waited for Caroline to finish reading. She had brought a book herself, but if she started in it, God knew when she would finally resurface.

But waiting was dull and boring. Her mind wandered off, treading past subjects that sort of mattered but not really, until she almost touched upon those thoughts she had been trying to stay away from. She could feel their presence, without really realizing she was almost recalling the thoughts she didn't want to recall, and-

"Okay, I'm done. Are you paying?" Caroline hopped from her towel to Elena's, nudging the over-ticklish side of her best friend, who tried to choke out an answer while trying not to laugh.

"Fine. But none of that anymore," she replied, waggling her finger and getting up quickly. She grabbed her bag and pulled the strap over her shoulder, then the two girls trudged through the sand. It felt hot against the soles of her feet, but after a year of being in Florida she was used to it. The weather was almost always unbearably hot, with thunderstorms every now and again, and heat strokes, temperatures often pushing nineties or hundreds – but by now she didn't want it any other way anymore.

"I want a twister," Elena said, humming lightly. Ice cream was one of the best things about summer; had always been, would always be. It made her feel like a little girl all over again.

She put some money down and pulled the wrapper off her ice cream. Caroline could never pick. She was even worse of a little girl than Elena was when confronted with ice cream. She looked at all the options on the big board, deciding on something and then the next moment trying to change it again.

Elena was scraping her teeth over the top of the popsicle when there were hands, strong fingers on her shoulders, rubbing slowly. Her first thought was _'Goddamnit, Damon' _and the next one was _'Fuck, my ice cream'_.

"I'm so awesome!" Caroline cheered but Elena ignored her and turned around, ready to give Damon a piece of her mind when-

Well, at least she'd been in the right family?

"Stefan?!" she asked incredulously, her heart slowing down from its frantic beating. "You scared me."

"I wanted you to drop your popsicle, which you did… Too bad Caroline caught it."

"I did. Now my fingers are sticky though. Stefan Salvatore, come here and help your girlfriend out."

Elena took her popsicle back from Caroline and fled from the scene, not wanting to be around as Stefan licked the stickiness off Caroline's fingers. That was bound to end up in Caroline asking her in that giggly, breathy version of her voice if it was alright that she was going to "show Stefan something".

* * *

It took them half an hour to get back to her. Elena had gone for a swim, but had returned to her towel five minutes prior to her friends catching up with her.

"I was just telling Caroline," Stefan began, and Elena doubted he had been telling Caroline anything that she even wanted to hear. He was adjusting his shorts and it was clear what they had been doing.

"Oh yes," Caroline giggled, cuddling Stefan's arm and resting her head on his shoulder, "you really have to come."

"You're just confusing her now, babe. Anyways, I was telling her about this beach party tonight. It's all the way on the south end of this boulevard. You remember that party when we had to stop Caroline from stripping on top of the bar? It's the same place, only now without the tacky theme. It's just a beach party, with a huge bonfire and a barbecue."

Elena had to admit, that didn't sound too bad.

"And Caroline said you need some distraction from previous party, so what better than another one?"

And it finally hit her. The lingering thoughts that had been haunting her all week hit her. Who was the girl that looked so frighteningly much like her? What was she doing here? Why hadn't she ever seen her before?

Or _had _she?

It all caused her head to throb painfully.

"I think I'm going to have to pass," she muttered, rubbing her fingers against her temples.

Caroline huffed. "Don't you even _try _to go there, Elena Sophie Gilbert. You never get headaches this suddenly."

Elena just crossed her arms and pouted. "Not going."

"Going."

"Not."

"Yes."

"Ladies and gayface!"

As if everything wasn't enough already, _Damon _had to show up. _Great_, Elena thought. _Just great._

"So charming, Damon," Stefan said but he laughed a little nonetheless. They were brothers, and Stefan had grown used to his brother's ways a long time ago. "I was just telling the girls about the party tonight, by the way. Caroline's coming, Elena's… doubtful."

"Oh Elena," Damon sighed, clacking his tongue as he plopped down in the sand, leaning into Elena's side. "Didn't you like it previous time? I enjoyed carrying you home over my shoulder," he winked.

Elena swatted him away, glanced briefly at Caroline and mouthed a 'sorry' before getting up. She knew Caroline liked Damon, but also that if she had to pick between alone time with Stefan and sharing her boyfriend with his brother she'd pick the first.

"I have to go. I'll see you guys around. Caroline, wake me up if you're too drunk to find your room tonight, okay?" She got up, flung her towel over her shoulder and grabbed her bag. She waved at Caroline and Stefan, ignored the smug grin Damon was casting her and walked away.

She had no idea what she was going to do. But she knew that the thoughts that already made her mind go rampage would be keeping her company whatever she decided to do.


	4. My World

**We're really happy you're all enjoying our story so far. And there's so much more to come. :)**

* * *

Elena had no idea what she did there. Or why she wasn't running away yet. It had sounded like a good idea in her head; going back to that one club where she had seen the mysterious stranger that looked so much like her, and then maybe she would see her again. Now? It sounded a lot less like a good idea. And on top of that she probably looked like an idiot because she had been standing outside the bar for at least fifteen minutes, feet pinned firmly to the ground, not finding the courage to move.

What would she say to her? If the woman was even going to show up, Elena had no idea what to do. Hell, she didn't even know what the other woman was like. She tried not to jump to conclusions based on what she had been wearing (but if she would, she would either say bitchy or super confident).

Elena couldn't help but be a bit jealous of that. The other Elena obviously knew how to flaunt her body around, maybe a little bit too well, meanwhile Elena had never worn something quite like that before. Fuck me heels, skin tight dresses. Both were things that gave her nightmares.

But she couldn't stay outside, so finally she took a deep breath and walked inside the bar. It was still crowded, as it seemed to be one of those bars where it was every day, but as far as Elena could see there was no sign of her 'twin'. Her shoulders sank at the disappointment. What had she thought? That they would find one another right away and that they would have an awesome chat, share secrets and whatnot? She scoffed at the thought.

"Hey Katherine, diggin' the hair," some stranger said to Elena, making her frown at the sudden name.

"I'm not Katherine."

The guy frowned as well, then laughed. "Could've fooled me. You look exactly like Katherine."

So her name was Katherine. _Katherine_. She rolled the name over her tongue, keeping herself from actually pronouncing the name. Maybe she could ask the guy some more questions about her.

But when she wanted to ask him she noticed he had already walked off to a group of other guys who were hanging out near the pool table. _Yeah, like I'm going to go there and ask him now..._

She felt stupid and _really _out of place. A bar, club or party wouldn't become 'her scene' anytime soon, despite Caroline's efforts.

Elena had decided that being there was a waste of her time the moment she turned around to be face-to-face with the one woman she had been frantically thinking about only seconds prior.

"Hello Elena." Her voice was smoother than hers, but anyone could still tell that they sounded a lot alike.

This time Katherine wasn't showing as much skin as she had the previous time, more than Elena dared to admit she wanted to be covered. A pair of black skinny jeans, with a dark purple tank top beneath a leather jacket, decorated with spikes on the shoulders. Previous time she had looked sexy and mysterious, now she was downright hot.

"How do you know my name?" Elena asked when she finally managed to pull out of her thoughts.

"Well, aren't you a straightforward one," Katherine chuckled, slowly passing by her and making her way to the bar.

Elena's eyes moved on their own accord and stared at the way her legs were moving in that slow, sensual pace. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks when she realized she was checking her out. As if Katherine could read her mind, she turned her head around and winked at her, making her blush even harder.

"Are you going to keep standing there or what?"

Elena shook her head and hurried towards the bar where Katherine had taken a seat and had ordered herself a drink.

She took a few inaudible, calming breaths to get her mind straight (and out of the gutter). She got what she wanted, the woman was there. Now all she had to do was jump on the chance and ask her the things that had been occupying her mind.

"A beer for the minor please," Katherine said, waving the bartender over.

"Excuse me, I don't want one," Elena huffed.

Katherine just ignored her and handed her the beer, rolling her eyes at the younger girl's stubbornness.

"Are you here for a reason?" Katherine eyed her up and down, smirking. "To see a certain person who, big shocker, looks exactly like you?" She pressed her lips to the rim of her glass, taking a small sip. "Because if you're here to get drunk then I don't understand why you won't take a beer from lovely ol' me."

Elena just blushed some more, holding onto the bottle of beer like it was the only thing that could keep her sane. "None of your business."

"Ouch. Not so civil, are we? Oh well. Ask away. I don't have all day."

"How do we look exactly alike?" Elena muttered, doubting Katherine could've heard her over the music, so repeated her question louder.

"Oh honey, you're asking the wrong questions."

"But you look _exactly _like me!"

"I like to believe that _you_ look like _me_. I'm older, you know. And in this case, you thinking I'm younger than your what? Eighteen meager years of life? So not flattering."

Elena crossed her arms. Maybe coming there had been an ever worse idea than she already thought.

"Not the pouty face. It makes me think of a kicked puppy, and I don't like the entire dog-race."

"Are we related?"

"Aha!" Katherine ran her tongue over her bottom lip, seemingly in thought. "You could say so."

"What are you, my cousin?" Elena asked confused, the answers she was getting weren't helping the headache Katherine had given her by their first encounter.

"We can keep it at that if you like," Katherine said, shrugging her shoulders. "Seen as now you're my... hmm, _cousin_... I'm throwing a party this weekend. Bring your friends, anything for my dear cousin's usual company." She laughed, dryly and low, as she took a card out of her jeans pocket and handed it to Elena.

Elena glanced down at the card and back at Katherine, then back down at the card again. She then shoved it in her pocket. There was no doubt that her friends would want to go. Caroline especially. Elena wasn't sure if she was going to bring the party up at all for that exact reason.

She was about to say something, but had no idea what. So instead she lifted the bottle of beer and chugged it down. At first, that hadn't even been her intention. One sip, maybe two. But feeling the bitter liquid invade her senses, she knew she needed it more than she had realized.

Katherine's hand wrapped around hers. She was looking amused. "Ho there, tiger. I thought you didn't want one?"

It had been a simple touch, but the moment their hands touched it had felt like a bolt of electricity went right through her fingers, making them feel all warm and tingly. If Katherine had felt it too, she did a better job at hiding it.

"I-I uhm... I should go." She slipped off her stool and without looking back at Katherine even once she pushed her way through the crowd.

Her hand still tingled.


	5. Go Little Bad Girl

**Thanks for the reviews. I hope you guys like this one! Things are going to change further from here ;). Hopefully you guys will stay with us until the very end of this wonderful Kelena ride. Enjoy!**

* * *

Elena prided herself on her eye for detail. Others would complain about it at times; friends that wanted to copy her notes, or professors that had to grade her papers, or her very best friend that whined and nagged and asked why Elena always had to take so long to do everything in detail when she could do it nice and easy, and a whole lot faster. But she wasn't about to change that.

At first, she had thought Katherine's card was one of those printed ones, made by the dozens and handed out at business occasions and such. She had thought that she was just the one exception, and that every other person in possession of her card was in any which way an important contact. She had thought maybe Katherine was a business woman, and her mind had wandered to pencil skirts and mahogany desks and- anyways, she wasn't. Probably.

Lying on her bed and studying the card, flipping it over and over in her hand, she then realized it wasn't printed. The edges of the paper were ruffled, as if it had been torn off from a much bigger piece of paper. The letters were in a swirly handwriting, a font that was Katherine's personally and not a computer font, and the ink was smudged out just slightly. That could mean two things. Either Katherine had brushed her hand over the words while writing, or it had been in her pocket for a while.

She hoped for the latter, because just thinking of that possibility had made her stomach feel fuzzy.

If it had been in Katherine's pocket for a while, that meant Katherine had been wanting to get in touch with Elena just as much as Elena had wanted to find Katherine.

* * *

Elena tried to avoid any talk about parties or going out for the remaining days until the weekend. It's not like she didn't want Caroline to be there, except she didn't want Caroline to be there. This was her shot to get to know more about Katherine, maybe scoop around and try to find something, _anything _that could tell her more. She didn't want Caroline strutting behind her, encouraging it – that would just make everything awkward.

When Saturday rolled around, Caroline had apparently managed to get invited to some frat party on a campus thirty minutes away. _Of course_, Elena thought. It was only two more weeks before some colleges started again (fortunately the University of Central Florida would only begin mid-September, in three weeks, more or less), which meant that fraternities felt the need to squeeze in as many parties in the little time left.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along?" Caroline asked as she touched up her hair and swatted away Stefan's hand from her hip. "I can borrow you something, it's really not a problem. Something you should know by now."

Elena smiled, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself. "I'm fine. I'm going to watch a movie and maybe go for a swim. Do you know when your mother's going to be back?"

Another fortunate turn of events, Liz Forbes had been asked to tag along to some convention of sorts, Elena hadn't bothered getting deeper into it – law enforcement was not her cup of tea.

Caroline nodded, smirking. "Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. Promise not to burn the house down while I'm away?"

"I'll wait until you're back," Elena quipped back.

When the sounds of tires on gravel finally died down Elena threw the blanket off of her and ran up the stairs. She just hoped that whatever she was going to put on would make some sort of an impression. Her thoughts were going too fast to stand still on the one thing that she normally would freak out over: why was she even trying to make a good impression?

She tried on dress after dress until she found one that she was at least semi-content with. It didn't _quite _reach her knees, was tight around her hips and dipped in the front but it had a nice colour that went well with her hair and she had heels that could fit with it.

Caroline would be proud.

She took one of the Forbes' cars to drive over to Katherine, then sat inside of it for another ten minutes as she stood parked on the Pierce's driveway. Not only was the house overwhelmingly impressive (which made her revisit the idea of Katherine being some successful persona in the business world), but it was also packed with people.

But eventually, she knew, she had to get out.

Her heels ticked on the concrete driveway, dull and loud, then were muffled as she walked over the sandy path to the open front doors. Packed seemed an understatement at first, the hall and the living room and the backyard completely filled with people. But that's where everyone was. She didn't come along anyone when she ventured into the kitchen or the study (sadly no mahogany desk).

She was about to climb up the stairs when she was met with two slender legs, ending in a pair of killer heels. Looking up, she stood face-to-face with the host of the evening.

"Elena," Katherine hummed, seemingly not in the least bothered that Elena had wanted to go upstairs for the obvious reason of checking the place out and find any dirt on her. "I see you made it. Didn't bring along the friends?"

Elena shook her head. She was embarrassed at being caught, cheeks flushed with a red colour to look the part, and was gnawing on the inside of her cheeks. "They... had something else to do." It was not a lie.

Katherine grabbed her at the elbow, a surprisingly firm grasp, and tugged Elena upstairs. Then she was backed into a corner. When Katherine hovered closer to her, she felt her breath slip away.

"You're going to have fun tonight, Elena," she said, and Elena felt a weird daze of peace fall over her. She didn't feel her head nod. "You're not going to let anything hold you back. Do what you want, and don't think about the consequences. Don't get yourself killed though."

And when Elena blinked, Katherine was gone.

* * *

Elena didn't remember how she had gotten there, three hours later, between drunk and completely wasted, getting a lap dance from an equally as drunk guy that she had met only a minute before. Thomas or Mark or-

"Jamie, go."

Jamie, apparently.

Elena pouted and whined, reaching out for the source of heat and friction that had just been taken away from her. Once more she was faced with Katherine, who she hadn't seen since entering her house, but this time she didn't flush in embarrassment.

Katherine looked stunning. Breath-takingly so. Tan flesh wrapped in a white and silver dress, a lot less tight than Elena had expected, but nonetheless leaving not much to the imagination.

Elena gulped.

"Cousin, there you are," Katherine said in a cheery voice, a tone Elena had not expected to hear, "I've been looking all over the place for you. Come on, we're playing a game."

She was dragged into the living room, that had significantly cleared out since she'd gotten there. Most people were outside or upstairs now, putting the guest rooms and the pool to good use.

"Believe me, it's going to be fun," was whispered into her ear and she shivered, ignoring the burning spot right below her ear where Katherine's lips had only briefly touched her skin.

* * *

Three rounds of Spin the Bottle later, and Katherine got bored. She dared the circle of people around her to pick someone for her to spend Seven Minutes in Heaven with (a game Elena had played too often since starting college), and every finger pointed at her.

"What?"

Katherine got up then pulled Elena along with her, guiding her to the closet in the hallway. Some guys followed suit, standing outside with their phones in their hands. "Seven minutes, not a minute shorter," one of them even said, though Elena could hardly understand him with how thick his tongue was.

Once the door closed, Elena felt Katherine's compulsion (which she didn't know was a thing, but, well, it was in fact a thing that had happened) take away any and all doubts she could had.

Mouth pressed to mouth, eager and hungry and wantonly, and Elena tangled her hands in Katherine's hair as she was pressed up into the wall, legs coming to rest around Katherine's waist. There was tongue, and teeth; _definitely _teeth. There were bite marks in her bottom lip left when they finally pulled away, Elena's breathing labored.

"Should I show you what I can do in just seven minutes?" Katherine asked, planting firm kisses down Elena's neck. If the previous kiss had already been electrifying, then this one made her mind short-circuit.

Elena didn't recall much of what happened once the seven minutes were over, but knew that not _that _much could've happened. Her lips were swollen and her neck was covered in hickeys and love bites, and she was throbbing all over – a painful ache that coiled in her abdomen and made her stomach twist. But her dress was still firmly in place, only slightly risen up her thighs from being held up.

She indulged in several drinks afterwards and eventually passed out on one of Katherine's couches.

* * *

Elena woke up with a skull-splitting headache the next day, in a bed that she didn't recognize, with about thirty missed calls on her cell phone.


	6. Sleepwalker

**Thanks for the reviews. Now it's time for the morning after, let's get to it!**

* * *

Elena could cry because of the headache she was having. She couldn't even remember how many drinks she had had, or what she had done. The one thing fresh and new in her mind was waking up from a sore neck and a slaughtering headache.

She blessed God for the very comfortable bed she was laying in, though. It was a blessing given how miserable she felt. There were probably too many missed calls on her phone, by Caroline, by Stefan (forced by Caroline), maybe even Damon... What would they think? She had lied to Caroline about what she would be doing that night, and on top of that she woke up in a stranger's bed.

Elena shot up, like she got burned by something, and fell out of bed by her sudden movement and realization. Had she slept with someone? She looked down at herself and noticed she was still wearing her clothes. Was it safe to say nothing had happened? She couldn't know for sure.

Finally she stood up from her spot on the ground and walked to the bathroom that was linked to the room. When she stopped in front of the mirror she gasped at the sight that met her. She looked like a real mess; her tousled, like someone had continuously moved through it, her neck covered in bruises varying size.

She touched her neck and let out a small whimper. Someone clearly had done her good. Those hickeys were going to stay there for a while. That meant a scarf for God knew how long.

"Looking good," she heard, the voice making her jump. Her heart beat rapidly. She swallowed and turned around, but she hadn't been ready for it. At all.

What had happened the night before hit her like a hard and stinging slap in the face.

In front of her stood Katherine.

Elena felt her warm lips on her neck and her nimble hands on her legs all over again.

Katherine looked more beautiful than ever, dressed in the simple night gown of black fabric that fell around her body, dipping in the front. There were no heels, no tight jeans or small dresses this time. It was Katherine in all her natural beauty, with wavy hair falling over her shoulders and thick lashes framing dark eyes.

Elena had to keep herself in check not to run to the woman in the doorway and ask for another round.

"I.. uhm… Good morning," Elena mumbled, not knowing what to do.

"I brought you some clothes to borrow and a towel. So you can take a shower?" Katherine said simply before walking further into the bathroom and putting the stuff down on the bathroom counter.

Elena frowned at Katherine's hospitality. She had been under the assumption that Katherine wasn't the type to show any hospitality whatsoever. Maybe, as proven now, she had been wrong. Maybe Katherine was more than met the eye. A _lot _more.

Elena liked it.

"Thanks," she said softly, and Katherine gave her simple nod before she turned around and left the bathroom.

Elena shook her head and tried to ignore and forget the sight of the woman who had to be a relative to her. She shouldn't be thinking about her that way, that she was to good looking even though she looked so much like her. Maybe it was the way she spoke, the silky voice that wandered in Elena's head forever, or the way she smiled. Maybe it was how she dressed, or how she had decided to carry herself. Maybe it was all of those things, and things Elena couldn't put her finger on.

* * *

With the towel wrapped around her body, Elena walked back to 'her' bedroom and put the clothes Katherine brought for her on the bed. Surprisingly it was just a simple pair of jeans and a black sweater, something Elena thought Katherine wouldn't even own.

_She unfolded the towel and let it fall to the ground. The moment she wanted to pick up the pair of underwear, she felt hands ghost over her hips and up her abdomen._

_"What..." Elena whimpered, but she turned silent when Katherine's voice whispered into her ear that she was safe._

_Then the kisses started. A small peck behind her ear, then lower down her neck while her hands played with her stomach and then further down. Elena let out a small moan when one of Katherine's fingers found her sex and started to rub against it._

_"Please..." she pleaded, but got no response._

_When she got turned around, Katherine was gone._

Elena rested her hands on the mattress and let out frustrated sigh. _What the hell was that?_

Never in her life had she dreamed anything like that. And when she was fully awake! It was clear daylight and she was having erotic thoughts about the woman that was walking around in this house. There was an ache between her legs, humming and throbbing, left behind by the dream.

Clumsily and as fast as possible Elena put on the rest of the borrowed clothing and ran out of the room. No way in hell was she going to stay in there. She was just going to say goodbye to Katherine and get out of that house.

She ran down the stairs but there was to Katherine in sight. The parlor, the living room, the kitchen were all empty. But then Elena heard a faint sound, though it didn't sound _too_ far away. It had to be somewhere on the ground level... She tried to listen where the sound came from.

Every step brought her closer until she stood still in front of a big, wooden double door that held her away from the source of the music.

Should she walk in? Maybe Katherine (or whoever, maybe she lived with other people?) wanted some privacy, but it was the polite thing to say thank you for the hospitality.

She pushed down the handle.

_Was it the blue night  
Gone fragile  
Was it about the men  
In wonder steady gone under  
Was it the light ways  
So frightening  
Was it a two wills  
One mirror holding us dearer now_

Her voice wasn't the best, but it fit the song she was playing. Elena felt frozen to the spot, she couldn't do anything but listen to Katherine play.

_Thought I had an answer once  
But your random ways swept me along  
Colossal signs so I got lost  
With so many lovers singing soft_

_Was it the blue night  
Gone fragile  
Was it about the men  
In wonder steady gone under  
Was it the light ways  
So frightening  
Was it a two wills  
One mirror holding us dearer now_

The song came to an end and immediately Katherine turned her head and locked eyes with the girl staring at her like she had just seen a ghost. Even she didn't dare to break the spell they both seemed enchanted by. It felt like Elena was putting everything out there, in the open, making her mind a book for Katherine to read.

She didn't notice that Katherine had walked over to her until she stopped right in front of her, still not losing eye contact. Was she dreaming again? It was possible, but she didn't mind. She wanted to get caught up in her eyes, to be sucked in and see how it would feel like to be consumed by her.

"You wanted to say goodbye, right?" And just like that, the spell was broken, shattered to a thousand and another thousand pieces.

Elena blinked a few times and then nodded. She couldn't manage to get a word out of her mouth.

"Goodbye, Elena," Katherine said sweetly before turning around and taking her place behind the piano again.

Before Elena had walked completely out of Katherine's house she turned around, looked in the piano room's direction and only then shut the door behind her with a tiny smile on her face. "Goodbye Katherine."

* * *

**I'm (Suki) not really the type to put a random song in a story, but this one seemed to fit the small moment, and I always had a fantasy that Katherine could play the piano. **


	7. Funhouse

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

"Oh Elena, thank God," was Caroline's rush of breath the moment Elena walked into the living room, and not even a heartbeat later Caroline had wrapped her up in her arms and was squeezing her tightly into her chest. Elena gasped for breath, at the same time patting her friend on the back.

She knew the questions would come soon after the hug ended, so she held onto Caroline's body for as long as she could despite being smothered.

"Where the hell have you been?!"

And there it began. Elena really wasn't up for an interrogation, especially not with the headache that was pounding in her head still, and especially not when all she wanted to do was bury herself in a heap of pillows and blankets and sleep.

Being awake left too much room for thoughts.

"I changed my mind and-"

"Oh. My. God. Are those _hickeys_?!"

Caroline tilted Elena's head to the side with a force that Elena wouldn't be able to top. She winced slightly when Caroline's fingers pressed into the sore patches of skin on her neck. "Stop that!"

"They're real... oh my god, Elena Gilbert, how could you not tell me?"

"Tell you..."

"That you have a boyfriend! Or at least someone that gets to sex you up... You're not the one-night stand type though. Who is it? Do I know him?"

Elena frowned, but really, this was a god-sent. Caroline was handing her an excuse and all she had to do was shrug it off like she was shy and didn't want anyone to know about her 'budding relationship' just yet. It could hardly be called lying.

"It's nothing," she said, faking a sneaky little smile. "Is it okay if I go sleep now or do I need to give you fingerprints too?"

Elena sprinted up the stairs before Caroline could realize that what she was wearing was not something from her own wardrobe. Her friend would be too busy squealing over this new-found information anyway.

* * *

Elena stuffed Katherine's clothes as well as her own party outfit in the laundry machine while combing her wet hair. She had taken another shower, merely because the smell of Katherine's shampoo was too distracting. The headache was still there, but a lot less painful. It had turned into a dull throb at her temples, almost gone whenever she didn't pay close attention.

She tied her hair up and put on some sunglasses, dodging more of Caroline's questions on her way out. "I'll be back tonight," she called over her shoulder and she heard the blond sigh behind her.

Elena rolled her eyes, but grinned. Caroline really was quite something else, but that precisely was why so many people were attracted to her, whether that be romantically or friendly.

She walked to the nearest bus station and sat down on the metal bench, straightening out her tank top. She had no idea where she was going, but she needed to get out of the house.

There was guilt bubbling within her for lying to Caroline. Before, it had seemed like the perfect idea. But after sleeping her head had cleared out and she knew it _wasn't_. If her friend found out that she hadn't been with a new boyfriend but with _Katherine_, the mysterious stranger that could pass as her twin, and that they had... well, done things... she wasn't sure how well that would go over.

The bus stopped right in front of her and she hopped up the two steps, buying a day ticket before finding herself a spot in the back, at the window.

She leaned against the window, eyes trying to keep up with her surroundings flashing by. There was something comforting about knowing that she had to do nothing at all, that she could just sit there and let the bus take her wherever.

Soon enough she realized she'd taken the bus line that, among other things, stopped at the beach. She could walk over the boulevard and maybe go to one of the coffee shops near the corner where they served home-made biscuits with every cup. She'd always liked it there.

"Have a good day," the bus driver said to her when she got off the bus and she nodded back at him, directing one of the first smiles of that day at him.

* * *

"My, oh my... Elena?"

Elena had been engrossed in a book she'd bought along the way to the coffee shop she had been in for a little bit now, but the all-too-familiar voice shook her out of the fantasy world that had come alive around her.

"Tyler?" She was pulled out of her seat on the comfy couch and pulled into a hug and Elena was happy to return it. "What are you _doing _here?"

When they broke apart Tyler was grinning. "My uncle Mason lives near Orlando. I'm spending a week at his place. Surfing, beach parties and babes... I would be an idiot for saying no."

Elena nodded, scanning the room. Indeed, there was Mason. She had seen him a few times before, always at parties held by the Lockwoods – birthdays, Christmas, New Year's; the Lockwoods had always been on top of the social scene back in Mystic Falls.

"I was going to call you later. Do I finally get to meet the girl you ditched us for? Real classy, by the way," he said, clacking his tongue and shaking his head. "I would expect something like that from... me, probably. I didn't think you would cut your stay in Mystic Falls short for a chick."

Elena punched him in the shoulder and flopped back down in the couch. "Not nice."

"I'm just teasing you, Gilbert. Hey, let me go tell Mason you're joining us. We're on our way to the fair, and there's no such thing as you not tagging along."

She sighed, then nodded. She couldn't hide that Tyler being there made her happy. "Fine."

And once more, the universe had worked in her favor, handing her an excuse on a silver platter. An excuse to stay away from Caroline for a few more hours, and an excuse not to overthink everything Katherine.

* * *

Back at home, Tyler had never been Elena's best friend in any way. Both being from founding families they had been forced on several occasions to spend time together. It was their mutual hatred for most of the social events of their community that made them bond in a way that was hard to explain.

Their friendship consisted of having each other's backs, of offering entertainment when the need was high (so, pretty much everything they were obliged to be part of), of the whole shabam of having lunch together and flocking together during classes.

For a brief moment there was a bit of a rift between Tyler and Elena when the latter's relationship ended with the first's best friend, but they all made up and the three of them, together with April, became a foursome to be reckoned with.

Matt and April had always been closer friends to her than Tyler had been, but right now Elena was glad that she was around him and not one of the other two. Tyler was easy to be around, hardly ever asked questions, and made her feel very... normal, in fact. The little things mattered, and she was grateful for that.

They'd been at the fair for several hours, losing Mason after not even thirty minutes. But Elena knew her way around, fortunately. They talked a bit about their lives between rides and stalls.

"I missed you," Elena said when it had become dark and she really had to start going home if she didn't want Caroline to get worried again. "Even though it's only been two weeks since I left Mystic Falls. We need to do something again one of the days. And yes, I'll bring Caroline."

"You're a good Gilbert, Gilbert," Tyler replied, kissing her cheek and hugging her back before turning around. "I need to have this bus, right? If you send me the wrong way I'll find you, Gilbert."

"Trust me!" Elena huffed, giving Tyler a push towards his bus before she walked towards her own, in the opposite direction. "Call me?"

"I will."

Elena had a happy smile plastered on her face as she walked further into the bus, looking for her spot. Somehow, being around Tyler for just a few hours had managed to charge her battery, so to speak, a battery that had been drained in what hadn't even been such a long time. And she was ready to face Caroline and her questions head-on.


	8. Trespassing

She was standing in front of the fire place, enjoying the flames that danced around and captured the wood with their heat. She took a sip from her glass that was filled with the finest of bourbon as she continued staring into nothing.

It has been at least eight hours since Elena had last been in her house. The faint scent of her was still lingering in the air of her house. She took a deep breath trying to catch it and taste it on her tongue. She was left with nothing.

There was nothing better than the real thing.

So another sip, and another, and another till it was empty and refilled all over again.

Katherine didn´t have to turn around to know who was walking in the moment she heard the footsteps on her wooden floors. It was like he had his own sound that followed him every step he took, every move he made, he was his own person. She didn't feel like turning around when he spoke.

"Katerina," the confident but gentle voice reached her. He was on the other side of the room, yet he sounded like he was close by.

"You're back, couldn't stay away from me?" Katherine said simply, teasingly though, before finally turning to him. Like _always_ he had a suit on. For as long as she had known him she had never seen him wearing anything remotely casual. He wasn't the kind of person.

"It's nice to see you too, Katerina. Always so welcoming." He smirked, before walking further into the parlor and pouring a glass of bourbon for himself.

"What can I say, I always try to be an amazing host," she smirked back at him, making him huff at her sloppy response.

She was losing her sharp edge, she knew that. She didn't need confirmation from him.

But he wasn't here for that. She knew. And God, she wondered what he wanted from her now. Klaus was still locked away safely in his coffin and he wasn't going anywhere soon, so that couldn't be it. _Then why is he here? _And her little smirk dropped when she realized why.

"If you're here to talk about her, I'm not in the mood." A final sip and the bourbon was gone and so was the glass the moment she threw it into the fire, slivers of glass dancing together with the flames.

He didn't flinch at her sudden outburst, he just continued looking at her. _Examining _her. He always did, trying to figure out how she was doing. Katherine didn't wear her inner turmoils on her sleeves but Elijah could read her like no one else.

"Too bad because I am. Katherine..." And he used her usual name, that only meant that whatever it was he wanted to discuss about Elena was serious.

"What, Elijah? Are you going to tell me that it was stupid of me to show up, and continue to do so when I had a chance to stop?! Sorry, but you already told me that," Katherine snipped.

She knew she was wrong and what she was doing was against everything, that Elena shouldn't be knowing about her at all, or find out about the world that was filled with vampires and werewolves and witches, and who knew what more?

"You could bring her in danger," his voice was softer and more quiet, and when his hand rested on Katherine's shoulder she had no choice but to relax. He always had that effect on her. He always found a way to calm her down without doing much. They had an understanding, and mostly, Elijah understood _her_.

"I know," she sighed, before pushing his hand away like it was burning her. She might like him and their friendship was something that ran deep, but she didn't need it now. Because she _knew_. She had plenty of conversations with herself in which she tried to convince herself to leave, to not drag Elena into this. Not only would it harm her doppelgänger, undoubtedly so, but it would also get back at Katherine. If Klaus ever broke out of his coffin and figured out the next girl in the Petrova bloodline was not only alive but also around.

"Please don't tell me you're getting fond of her."

Katherine glared at Elijah, not believing what he had just said to her. Like she ever got fond of anyone. Like she depended on them, craved their presence and their attention...

"Elijah, for a wise man... you're not wise at all." Katherine almost _laughed_ at him.

"There's no need to lie to me, Katerina."

Katherine took a few steps back before she had hit the couch behind her and made herself fall onto it. She didn't even know what she was doing with that girl. That was the worst part. At first it had been just to tease her, because it was fun, because after five-hundreds of years of living it brought her a kind of entertainment that didn't look like it was going to turn boring anytime soon. But it had grown so confusing so fast. But she couldn't stay away. There was a weird gravitation that pushed her to be closer to Elena than she wanted.

"I'm not fond of her. I'm just having fun. Leave it." She raised from the couch and walked away, not at all sure if she was fleeing from Elijah or fleeing from herself.

* * *

Elena came home to Caroline watching television, though _America's Next Top Model_ was quickly forgotten the moment Caroline looked up at her.

Her smile said, _I'm going to kill you with my questions, best be ready_. Elena wasn't sure if she was.

"So," Elena said awkwardly, trying to avoid Caroline's stare that very well could've burned its way to her soul if she hadn't looked away.

And it was that moment of weakness that Caroline tapped into. "Who is it? Where's he from? Did you have sex? Wait, is it a he? Oh my god, is it a girl?"

"Caroline… I really don't feel like talking about it." Because, you know, there was no person.

It was just too damn much for her. She still had to figure out herself what everything meant, or what they even were doing. How could she answer Caroline's questions? Confess that she had lied about a dozen times since Katherine had waltzed into their lives?

"Elena, you can't do this! We tell each other everything," Caroline sounded desperate and almost sad. Sad that her own friend couldn't even tell what she had been up to. It killed Elena. She had to give her something.

"It's Damon!" It was out of her mouth before she could do anything. The lie was out in the open and Caroline was taking it in like new clothing she would buy. She received the biggest smile in the world, the tightest hugs. She regretted the lie already but Caroline was so excited.

_Fuck, what have I done?_


	9. Party

Elena was pretty sure she couldn't make things worse. Except the last time she thought that she jinxed it and everything got endlessly more complicated.

Three days prior, Caroline had been told that she was dating Damon.

Two days prior, Caroline started organizing a barbecue- a damn, freaking barbecue to celebrate summer and friendship and "young, budding _love_, Elena!".

One day prior, Elena convinced Damon to go along with her lie and pretend they were dating, "_Please_, Damon, I'm begging you" and oh, the smirk that she had wanted to glare away so badly...

All leading up to that afternoon with the barbecue. And Damon was going to be there.

She lay with her face in her pillow and hoped she could fall asleep and miss all of it. Unfortunately, the rapid knocks on her bedroom door told her that she had ran out of time.

"Elena?"

The breath she released, shuddering and shaky, was one of relief though. It wasn't Caroline, or Damon. It was Stefan, who maybe wouldn't have been her first choice but was better than the options she had dreaded. "Yeah, I'm coming."

She got up, straightening out the crinkles in her dress. The entire morning had been spent in her room, looking for a dress and brushing her hair to perfection to appease to Caroline's standards. Mostly it had just given her the opportunity to spent at least the morning in peace.

"Hey future sis-in-law."

And just like that Stefan put himself on the list of people Elena didn't want to see. Because he looked _so _happy just saying that, looking at her. She had never really seen Stefan as much more than the cling-on to Caroline's hip, almost always there, whipped to the very core because of how much he loved Caroline and wanted to see her happy.

But now, only now she realized how wrong she had been because Stefan was a person with actual feelings and emotions. He wanted his brother to be happy, he wanted Caroline to have her dream of all being one big, happy family and apparently, goddamnit, he didn't mind in the least to have Elena be a part of his family either.

Elena just wanted to run her head into a wall or something.

"You spend _way _too much time with Caroline," she quipped, slapping him against the shoulder and regretting it almost instantly. Freaking Hulk. "Ugh."

"Don't be so stressed," he said and there was that smile, one that mostly Caroline had been granted with and- Elena _really_ wanted to bang her head in a solid surface **_now_**. Stefan was giving her _smiles_, genuine and happy smiles because she 'was dating' his brother which made him smile genuine and happy smiles.

"Don't look at me like that, dude," she muttered below her breath and fled away.

* * *

Elena didn't know how she was surviving so far, nestled in Damon's side; except it was sort of nice. Somehow Damon had managed to calm her down, and whether that be the overwhelming scent of his perfume that put her in a spell or the warmth that enveloped her, she didn't know – but she wasn't going to complain. It was better than freaking out internally like she had earlier with Stefan.

"I'm going to get us food," he whispered into her hair and Elena hummed, smiling up at him. Maybe faking wouldn't be too hard now that she was starting to see a side of Damon that wasn't as arrogant and tacky. Maybe after all of this they could be friends.

Maybe.

"Where is my favourite Gilbert?"

Elena's head snapped up, the last bits and pieces of her wariness melting as her eyes fell on the bulky form of one Tyler Lockwood. She had almost forgotten that she had invited him in her rush of stress following Caroline's announcement that a barbecue was going to be their soon reality.

"Ty!" Elena bolted from her seat, flinging herself at him because he meant safety and familiarity and easiness. "I'm glad you made it."

"How could I possibly decline free food?" His laugh was warm and gave her that little boost she had needed to be fully relaxed and to actually enjoy all of this.

"Come on, let me introduce you to the lovely host," she said, louder than needed just so Caroline could hear it. Complimenting her was never a dumb thing to do, and she would be grateful she had later on.

"Care. This is my friend, Tyler. You know, one of the football players I told you about?"

"Oooh! Your ex?" Caroline asked, and Elena could see the sparkling in her eyes. Oh god.

"No no! That's Matt. This is Matt's best friend. My best friend. We somehow survived high school together."

"Yup. We did. And it was fabulous."

Soon Tyler and Caroline were wrapped up in a contest of 'who can tell the most embarrassing Elena-stories' so Elena went back to her seat, picking pieces of food from Damon's plate occasionally and engaging in conversations with her college friends.

After all, maybe the barbecue wasn't going to be too bad.

* * *

"Can we keep Tyler, Lena?" Caroline's drunken giggle sounded loud in the relatively quiet evening air. "He just promised he's going to paint my nails! And Stefan's!"

"He's not!" Stefan huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Elena shook her head, grinning from ear to ear. "There's nail polish upstairs, Care. Do you want me to go get it?"

Caroline and Tyler nodded furiously, Stefan just pouted, looking down sadly into his empty cocktail glass. Elena easily hopped out of her chair, ducking into the house and dodging a friend that had just come out of one of the downstairs bathrooms.

It took her a little bit to get up the stairs, because while she hadn't drank a much as the threesome goobers, it wasn't like the few cocktails hadn't gone straight to cloud her head. The stairs were all wibbly-wobbly.

She finally reached Caroline's bathroom and rummaged through bags and cupboards full of products and make-up, a set of different kind of brushes, and a few handy dandy electric things that aided a great deal in Caroline's constant care for her hair.

It was almost ridiculous.

Finally, _finally_, she found the bag full of nail polish. Dozens of colours, several different brands and some with glitters. She was definitely going for glitter.

Barbie pink with glitters.

So fabulous.

She jumped out of her skin when she turned around and Damon stood there, in the door frame. His hair was ruffled and his cheeks tainted a wee bit pink – the heat and the alcohol probably getting to him. It was sort of endearing, but she couldn't find it within herself to actually make a _joke _about it. Her mind had short-circuited because of the (quite literal) jump scare.

"What's taking so long?" he asked, stepping closer and Elena showed him the nail polish in her hand, tucking it away in her pocket. She was about to step around him and head back out when he stopped her, soccer-mummedher – stopping her by making her run into his arm.

She was about to comment, the "what the fuck" already hot on her tongue, when he wrapped her in his arms and set his head on her shoulder.

It was weird and adorable and nice all at once and she couldn't help but hug him back, arms looped tight around his waist.

Next thing she knew Caroline was there, together with Tyler and Stefan, and she heard the coos and the giggles.

Realization settled in that Damon had hugged her because he went along in her lie, because he had heard Caroline coming up. Realization settled in that she wasn't seeing a different side of Damon at all, he was acting. And she felt horrible because she realized that she had made both Salvatores out to have no feelings when maybe, maybe Damon had. And maybe she was hurting his.

While everyone was chipper and laughing at Tyler's poor nail polishing skills, she sat in her seat and wished the terrible taste out of her throat.


	10. Shiver Shiver

**Crying cause you guys are awesome, and it feels good to know that people like our writing. and to answer everyone's question. Everything will go from really slow, to really fast all of a sudden, but there will be a balance. and someone said something about smut, but this story is actually T rated, and we already have a lot of chapters written out, so maybe in the future. Oh and this is a Kelena story, so all the delena stuff will not last forever. ****_ON TO THE STORY YO!_**

* * *

_The sound of waves and the sight of blue sky and bright sun made Elena sigh in utter bliss. The brunette had always loved the beach. And she'd always wanted something like that - and she got it. She found love._

_She remembered when they met, the first time they kissed, the first time they made love. The passion and the love they shared made them what they had become right then. Elena thought that it would never be that person that would make her feel like the happiest girl on earth. _

_Elena smiled deeply when she felt the golden band around her finger. They had been married for almost six years, and they have been happy ever since. It felt like it was yesterday when they had the small ceremony on the same beach she was sitting on right then. It was just them together, nobody else. Just the two of them binding their love, turning it into one. _

_Elena´s thoughts came to a halt when Damon and a woman came walking down the beach towards where she was sitting. Damon had a huge smile on his face and looked as handsome as ever with his shirt undone, showing off his muscular chest. His eyes were sparkling bright and his hair was messy, ruffled by the wind._

_The woman behind him had on pink summer dress that came till her knees and swayed around her as she walked. Her beautiful darkish hair fell like waves around her angel-like face. She had no make-up nor shoes on. She was real and she was perfect._

_"Hey honey," Elena said as Damon and the woman stopped in front of her._

_"Hey," the woman leaned down and kissed Elena softly on the lips, making Damon smile at the scene. Then he walked off to the group that was sitting a few feet away from Elena._

_"What were you thinking about?" Elena felt a shiver come down her spine just by hearing her wife's beautiful husky voice. She would never get used to it._

_ "I was thinking about us," Elena said softly, pulling her wife down to sit right next to her. _

_"Took a while for your friends to accept us."_

_"But they did eventually." Elena grabbed her wife's hand in hers and squeezed it softly._

_It was them against the world; it didn't accept the fact she wanted to marry a woman, a woman like her. She would´ve still done it, 'cause it was her that made Elena happy. Nobody else. _

_"I'm glad that I am able to make you happy." Her free hand rested on Elena's cheek and caressed the soft warm skin of her beautiful wife. It had been a rough path for the both of them, but they managed to overpower anything and reach their destiny. If you wanted something dearly, you had to fight for it first. Even if it made you sad, angry or disappointed with the few results, but if you finally did get your prize it was worth the whole fucking charade._

_Elena closed her eyes as she felt her wife's soft hand caress her left cheek._

_"I love you, Elena."_

_"I love you too, Katherine."_

Elena jumped right up in shock, screaming and falling and shuttering. She landed right with her face on the fluffy carpet and let out a pained moan. Even if it was fluffy it still hurt like hell.

_Where did that dream come from?_

It felt so real, every moment felt like she was right there on the beach married to the one person she didn't want to think about. _They were actually married for crying out loud!_

Oh, the way she kissed her, not even in real life she was that passionate about something. It almost hurt her heart that deep down she wanted it. She wanted to be married to that unknown woman who looked just like her if only because that happiness had felt so substantial, so real that she could touch it. Elena wanted the whole package deal and it made her want to cry.

Everything was turning into a mess. How had she gotten herself into this shit? She was fake-dating Damon because of that woman. She was obviously having a crush on her with all the dreams and don't forget daydreams she was getting about her. Elena's head was about to explode, she was supposed to be having a crush on a guy called Damon Salvatore and be his girlfriend for real. Not walking around having wet dreams about her look-alike.

With a throbbing head Elena finally got up from her uncomfortable position on the ground and groaned out of frustration. It was as if God really fucking hated her because she looked to the side to see a giant pile of clothes on her seat.

Neatly folded and organized were the clothes she had borrowed from Katherine sitting there on top of the pile, on her cream-colored love seat. She walked over to it and pulled a shirt from the stack.

Without really knowing what she was doing she brushed her nose against the silky fabric and let out a silent scream when she noticed what she was actually doing. "Oh my god, I'm going crazy." She threw the shirt away and took a step back.

She had one thing to do so she could forget about that Katherine woman. Elena had to bring back her clothing so she could go on with her life. _Elena, you're such a genius!_

* * *

"Okay, Elena, you're _not_ a genius." Elena sighed when she awkwardly stood in front of Katherine's door. She couldn't help but be a bit scared about finally seeing her again.

Deep down she was the slightest bit of excited to be able to talk to her again but tampered it down.

Elena's breath hitched when the woman she was dreaming about and thinking about seconds ago opened the door. Katherine's usual outfit was replaced by a silky red robe that came till her knees, showing off her long olive legs. Her curly hair was long and wet, falling down her face and over her shoulders. Then Elena noticed the few drops of water that were crawling down her delicate neck.

Elena shook her head when she heard Katherine cough and caught her smirking at her. _Fuck!_ _She caught me staring…_

"What a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe this visit?" Katherine's voice was the same like in her summer dream and it was making the same shiver appear down her spine, making Elena almost moan at the sensation.

"I came here to-" Her sentence was cut off when an unknown man came standing right next to Katherine.

"Katherine, hurry up. We don't want to be late to the ball."

Like Elena also Katherine gave him a glare, but the man only had eyes for Elena, looking at her as if she was in possession of multiple heads or something.

"Yes, I know. Now go away, Elijah." Elena felt a tiny bit of her heart break at the sight of the man next to Katherine.

"Uhm, here are your clothes." Elena pushed the pile of clothes into Katherine's arms and turned around to walk away as fast as possible.

Maybe it was for the best, maybe it was good that Katherine had a boyfriend. Now she could finally let the stupid crush behind her. And the first tear fell down her cheek when she walked away from the huge mansion and from Katherine Pierce.


	11. Echoes

**Couldn't keep you guys waiting any longer! **

* * *

"You are a buzz kill, mister," Katherine's voice rang through the hall as she swiveled around, the last bits of Elena's everything still wrapped tightly around her; her smell, vanilla and innocence and alive, her looks and her eyes and her smile.

"You know I'm prone to be punctual," Elijah cast back, showing just the slightest hint of a smirk. "And who knows how long that little chat would've taken if I'd just let you two be. Now hurry, we shall not be late."

Katherine just rolled her eyes then, and left to go upstairs. Elijah was right – she would never admit it out loud, but they both knew anyway. Elijah was right most of the time. (That jerk.) Who knows how long that talk would've lasted. Katherine enjoyed talking to Elena, even when they were miles apart in what they liked.

(Most likely, because Katherine hadn't really grasped Elena just yet. There was a lot behind the surface that Katherine had no idea about.)

Arriving in her room, she promptly made the thoughts about Elena vanish. One of the perks of having lived a few too many lifetimes was that she had gotten the hang of shutting things out fairly well. Feelings were the easiest of all, it was as simple as the snap of switch – quite literally.

Thoughts weren't too hard to make disappear either once you had seen greater difficulties all around you for decades.

The dress she had picked for the event of that night, a semi-formal ball held by an extension of Elijah's family, reminded her of former glories. Having lived in a time where the upper class had social gatherings near every month, she had had her fair share of balls. Long, made out of satin and silk and a tiny little bit of lace, she felt like a girl on prom night as she slid it on. The turquoise fit pretty well with her skin tone, the black lace giving it a bit of the edginess that was an evident part of her personality.

"That color looks great on you," Elijah said, his head poking around the door. Katherine smirked, licking her bottom lip.

"I know. Try not to gush."

"Oh honey, you're hilarious today."

* * *

The ball room they were met with was most definitely misplaced in a century that thrived on computerized music and as many buildings in a tiny space. To say it was spacious was the least they could do. They greeted the host beneath the crystal chandelier and got pointed their places near the low stage with the musicians.

While misplaced, it didn't feel _wrong_. Katherine knew, just like every other invite, that everyone in this room was well over three centuries old.

"I'll get you a drink." Elijah got up and headed for the nearest waiter. Normally Katherine wouldn't have bothered caring much, until she realized that at events like these the oldest vampires liked to pretend like these were the older times, where the noblest of men were served. Even Elijah, who was righteous and just and all that other bullshit.

She scanned the crowd for him and swallowed a chuckle when she found him. _Of course_. She could've known that one. She _so _could've known that one.

Elijah had retreated into one of the rare shadowy parts of the room, talking to an unmistakingly handsome waiter whose tray was empty. She wondered if that guy was the one Elijah had been pining over for the last several weeks and had been trying to be secretive about, oblivious to the fact that Katherine was onto him.

"May I have this dance, miss Petrova?" Suddenly she was swooped out of her chair and pulled to a man's chest whom she hadn't seen in a while.

"Kol," her brows twitched just slightly. "Of course you may."

Her relationship with Kol was… slightly very awkward. She loved Elijah for as much as she could, brokenly and flawed but raw and genuine. She felt not an ounce of warmth towards Elijah's brother.

But this was a familiar situation. She had danced numerous dances with him. And as they moved, well in sync and seemingly floating on the violin's rhythm she heard the echoes of the patterns she knew so well, cold hand in cold hand and cold body mere inches away from cold body.

"I was hoping to see you here tonight. We might have a situation on our hands," he leaned closer, their noses almost brushing. "And I could not communicate it with you over text."

That definitely did tickle her interest, and she lost thought about Elijah and his mystery pretty boy. "What is it?"

"It's Klaus," he said, and Katherine's heart sank. "Don't panic, but he might sort of have broken out of his coffin, and maybe he'll show up here later tonight… in which case we're both safe, I guess. We don't have any part in Rebekah's betrayal on him… as far as he knows, anyway. But I sort of need your help."

Katherine stilled mid-movement, and all she could think about was Elena who was now in more danger than she probably had ever been.

* * *

On the other side of the city Elena lay on the couch, watching a movie with Caroline. Every attempt at conversation between them had died quickly as they became more and more absorbed by Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the whole concept of Inception.

"It would be cool to live in a dream," Caroline said, scooting a little closer to Elena so she could reach the tub of ice cream more easily. "I would totally hook-up with Ryan Gosling in it. Don't tell Stefan!"

"It's not like he would get mad. It's just a dream. Dreams aren't real." Elena felt a little angry, but it slowly bled into despair, so much despair.

She knew it before Caroline said it.

"But they do _feel _real. They're a projection of what we want."


	12. Million dollar man

**No I did not forgot to post this! I was just really busy, and I forgot to inform my co-worker to update it. Well here is another chapter!**

* * *

The classic music had changed into more mainstream kind of songs that people of these days knew everything about. Most vampires were surprisingly enough enjoying the new kind of sound that came through the speakers. The live band had a break, and all the old women were swaying with their expensive Champaign in their hands.

Katherine looked at the right and still saw Elijah talking to that hot waiter, that was pretty obviously the person he was having a crush on and the sight of him laughing and enjoying himself made her realize what she wanted.

_Elena._

The little twist of her heart made her come to the point that Elena was the one she wanted to be laughing with. A dream of that came bursting into her mind, and it made Katherine snicker at the sight in her head. Her laughing, having a crush on her _doppelganger_ for crying out loud. Everyone would call her nuts to even consider doing that.

Katherine brushed her glove-covered finger over her bottom lip and smirked. She could still taste Elena on her though, like it happened a few seconds ago. She knew Elena didn't seem the type at all who would do such a thing. Kiss a stranger, sleep at their house, borrow their clothing. But she did it anyways, and there was more to that. Katherine could feel it, and Elena felt it too, she was sure of it.

"Ah, Katerina Petrova. So nice to see you again"

Like the cold brush of wind, like ice crawling up your skin, and freezing you till death. The voice of the one person she didn't want to see, or hear anything about was the same like that feeling.

That cold, cruel feeling, that you need to run while there's still a chance to do so.

"Klaus" Katherine's voice sounded hoarse, husky and slightly nervous.

"You remembered me, love"

How could she not? Even if the guy was locked up in his coffin for years. He was still haunting her dreams, mind or soul.

"How could I forget such a man like you" She gave him the best fake smile she could offer, and got a big smile in return, but the smile was gone the moment it came. She knew from the start that he wouldn't want to beat around the bush and just went for it, and Katherine was pretty sure she knew what that 'it' was.

"Katerina. Did you know how good you are at playing games?" his question was slow, playful and really dangerous.

"I don't like to brag"

Klaus started to laugh, and rested his hand on her shoulder. It felt like the hand burned right through her dress. His hand was hot, extremely hot. _Vampires weren't warm._

"I hate games" Katherine chuckled at his statement and decided to finally turn to him, and give him a closer look.

Like all those decades before, he was still as awfully handsome. Only his hair was shorter this time, and he looked bigger than when she last saw him. He was pulling the tuxedo look off.

Klaus moved closer to her body, almost closing her in with his unknown warmth. It was making her sweaty, and terrified. Katherine didn't do scared, but if there was one person she was scared of it was Klaus. When his lips almost reached her ears his voice lowered down a bit, not even a million of vampires would've heard, except her. What came out of his mouth, made her body turn cold again.

"Bring me the doppelganger, and I will make sure you'll live" Katherine swallowed, and locked eyes with Kol, who was standing not far from the couple.

_Yes I will help you._

* * *

"So how are you and Damon going?" Caroline made Elena came back from her thoughts.

It was almost the 10th time she thought about the summer dream. It was still fresh on her mind. She could still feel the way Katherine kissed her, and said she loved her. It was so real, it made her chest hurt.

"Earth to Elena!" Caroline said more loudly this time, shoving her best friend's shoulder with her hand.

"God Lena' are you guys so in love, that every time I mention him, you zone out"

"I'm not in love with him." Elena slapped her hand in front of her mouth, with a shocking face and hoped Caroline didn't hear her, but of course miss gossip girl, heard every single word.

"Don't be stupid. No need to deny your dying love for him" Caroline chuckled, wiggling with her eyebrows.

Elena burst out laughing at the sight of her best friend. The way her eyebrows were bouncing up and down, was a very funny sight, and after a whole day of depression, it was what she needed.

The whole Damon conversation forgotten, the two girls were back to watching the movie. After two hours, enjoying the special effect and drooling over the hot guys in suits, Caroline called it a night and went to bed. But for Elena the night wasn't over just yet. She was not tired, just exhausted and every time she would close her eyes she would see herself, kissing the person that also looked like her.

* * *

Elena jumped up from the couch, when she heard the sound of the doorbell going off and looked up at the clock that was hanging above the TV screen.

_3 am._ Who was out at that late, ringing on people's doorbells? Who were obviously trying to get some good night sleep.

With tired eyes, Elena jumped up from the couch and strolled to the door.

"It's 3 am, go ho-" she couldn't finish her sentence, when she saw the person she never expected to stand in front of her home.

"Katherine…" Elena stuttered, looking up and down the woman that was hunting her dreams for a few days now, wearing a beautiful gown. "What are you doing here?"

The woman said nothing, but only moved closer. When they were almost one inch away from each other, she did the unexpected. Soft lips pressed against Elena's, and it felt like coming home.

_She was home._


	13. Give Me Love

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews, and even anons I get (Suki) about the story, but it wouldn't be that great if it wasn't for my co-writer Kayley! **

* * *

Elena breathed out into Katherine's mouth, nudging against the door and pulling backwards, pulling at Katherine's shoulders and dragging her along because she didn't want to break their connection, not sure what would happened if her lips left Katherine's.

Part of her knew that this shouldn't be happening but she needed it, needed all of it.

Her hand tangled in curls, another setting at the nape of Katherine's neck to be somewhat gentle in guiding her to the nearest wall.

But it stopped being gentle when Katherine turned them around, fast, shoving Elena into the wall and tracing the vein in her neck with her lips. Elena shuddered when she felt the tip of a too-hot tongue drag down it, when she felt teeth scrape over the hollow of her throat and when she felt gloves and digits press underneath her tank top.

"K-Katherine," she murmured, below her heavy breath, and she scolded herself because what if she broke this thing, whatever it was, this feeling that seemed to pulse hot but frantically between them.

Katherine kissed her to silence, nipping at her bottom lip as her hands travelled further up.

Elena knew she was done for when she felt Katherine's fingers dance over her ribs, sucking in a greedy breath of Katherine's perfume – not the Chanel or Dior she was wearing, no, _Katherine_'s perfume. The smell of her body wash and hair shampoo and the smell of her skin, red of passion and high notes of seducing.

"My room's upstairs."

Under the cover of night and with mouths pressed together, muting every sound with too-hot kisses they made out for minutes that felt like hours and hours that felt like days, touching each other's skin, leaving burning trails of desire but when Elena's movements faltered when they came closer to _actually _going all the way, Katherine nodded, wrapped her arms tightly around her tiny frame and whispered 'good night'.

Elena lay in the smothering heat of her own body and Katherine's awake for most of the night regardless.

* * *

Katherine watched Elena. They had been faking equally as long to be asleep, Katherine as to not seem suspicious and Elena… well, Katherine had no idea why Elena had been faking to be asleep. But she'd smiled softly when she'd heard the girl's breathing even out, and chuckled when her breathing had turned into soft snoring.

She had left the party because Klaus had made her, but her intentions had changed on her way, and driven by an impulse she followed her body instead of her brain; her heart, her groin, her soul maybe – she doubted she had one, being a vampire and all, but if she had… If she had a soul, it had found its mate.

And now she was laying in the dark, tracing the lines of Elena's face with her fingertip. They had gone further than she could've hoped for. She had felt Elena's hot flesh beneath her palm, she had caressed the dips of her spine and the edges of her breasts and she had lain buried in her neck, ignoring the ache for blood just to sip in the girl's essence.

It had been a glorious and heavenly experience, one that had kept repeating inside her head as she lay there, and one she wouldn't forget for a long time.

But she knew that it wouldn't happen again. There was Klaus, and she had to figure out how to keep Elena safe. Everything churned inside of her, ached, burned; just knowing that it was outside her powers to keep this girl safe even with five hundred years of vampire strength.

She had no idea how she was going to get this done, but she knew that she had to get to Elijah soon – as fast as she could. But not yet. Not quite yet because if this was the last chance she had at treasuring Elena, at feeling her and kissing her and… and loving her, then she was going to exploit that opportunity for as long as she could.

Quietly she hummed into Elena's ear, stroking over her hair and her back, over the round curve of her ass – damn, that ass – and then slipped a leg between hers to tangle together.

It felt nice being like that with someone again. She had had numerous people this close to her, with barely clothes between them. However, there had been no one before that had left her content without even touching her where she wanted it.

And she would've liked that very much with Elena, but somehow it didn't matter how far they went because every step was perfect, every slightest touch satisfied her in a way that while it didn't come close to really good sex, it was nice. Really nice. On a different level.

Katherine knew she had it bad and that she couldn't deny it much longer.

Elena stirred in her sleep and Katherine looked over at the alarm clock. Six am. Sunlight spilled through the cracks in the curtains but it was still mostly dark in the room.

"I need to go soon," Katherine whispered, kissing Elena's cheek and then her temple, her forehead, the tip of her nose and then the corner of her mouth. "Don't want your pretty friend to find us like this."

The way Elena grabbed for her hand filled her with burning tinges of warmth. She had never felt this connected before, but the weird gravitation between them was pulling at her. And it should've been a fraying thread. That would make all of it easier. But it wasn't. This was a steel cable just being twirled.

"Come to my house. Later, after you've slept more." Katherine kicked every voice inside her head as she leaned in, kissing Elena hard and wanting and soft and mourning all at once, and she wasn't even sure how that was possible.

Elena blinked her eyelids slowly and the smile that appeared – _God, that smile_.

Katherine climbed out of bed, retrieving her dress and her gloves and her bra, putting them back on. However, right before she was going to leave, almost one foot out on the balcony already she turned back, crawled back on bed and kissed Elena again.

If this really was the last time she could do it, then she was going to stretch this just a little bit longer.

"I'll see you," she whispered, leaving a last peck before she walked onto the balcony without looking back, and then climbed down without making any sound. And when she was sure no one was looking, that Elena hadn't bolted onto the balcony to stop her (which she had hoped for, but she shouldn't have) she vanished, light speed carrying her away.


	14. Any Way I Can

**Sorry for the long wait.**

* * *

Soft gasps and moans filled the air of the room that was invaded by beautiful summer light on a sweet Sunday morning. On the king-sized bed in the middle of the room were two people, embraced in a passionate kiss. Skin being touched, lips being kissed, little nothings being whispered in each other's ears.

Katherine kissed the top of Elena´s breasts, nipping and licking the soft flesh, brushing her lips over her heated skin. Elena let out another moan when Katherine flicked her tongue over a sensitive spot. Clinging to her, Elena pressed feather-light kisses against her throat.

The first time in Elena´s bedroom and the open invite of visiting Katherine´s home turned into a regular thing, and over the two months it had lasted so far they met up frequently. Katherine didn´t know how it happened nor how she had become stuck in this limbo of a paradise.

Danger was everywhere, planning to strike any moment now, but despite how hard she tried she couldn´t deny her, she couldn´t stay away anymore. She was going to protect her. Katherine was smart and strong enough; besides, she had Kol now, and Elijah was in the shadows as well.

Thinking about Elijah made Katherine growl and bite into Elena´s tender skin, careful not to bite too hard to drain any blood. Elena didn´t know what she was, and Katherine wasn´t sure how she could tell her. That there was more to everything than just her being her double. Elijah wouldn´t accept it, he would find out soon that Katherine didn´t listen - but did she ever?

"Katherine…" Elena's plea, holding her naked body closer to hers. "I… need… to go," she managed to get out, before Katherine started to nip at her neck and collarbone.

"No, you don't," Katherine said huskily against her skin, making Elena tremble.

"Yes, I do."

Elena's statement was clear, and Katherine removed herself from Elena's embrace, almost making the young girl pout at the loss of contact.

Elena's cheeks started to turn red when she noticed Katherine staring at her.

Her big brown eyes were darkened with lust, and her perfect curly hair was tossed and turned and fanned like lion's hair around her heart-shaped face, and all thanks to her. She couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her lips of how proud she felt that she was able to arouse such a beautiful woman like Katherine. Even if they did look alike, Elena was far from being like her doppelganger.

"Quit staring, and change," Katherine commanded, tapping her finger against Elena's nose.

"Hey, you were staring as well!" Elena giggled, before she jumped off the bed, only wearing a pair of cotton blue boy shorts.

"So what if I was, _I_ am not in a hurry" Katherine smirked, letting herself fall back on the soft mattress.

A huge smile appeared on Elena's face as she continued looking at her lover, who was tangled in red silk sheets.

She was very lucky.

* * *

"So how are you and Elena doing?" Stefan asked while pulling Caroline onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her waist, making the blonde giggle and snuggle against his chest.

"I don't know, I haven't seen her in days." With a glass of bourbon in his hand, Damon stood in front of the open window of the boarding house.

Damon was a hundred percent sure that him and Elena would end up being a real couple. He still had to figure out why she wanted him to play along to begin with, but with the way they were smiling and actually enjoying themselves, he thought they would end up being boyfriend and girlfriend for real this time.

"But how is that possible? She comes back home with the most love struck look on her face all the time. And let me tell you, not even I had that face!" Caroline yelled, and got a pinch in her hip in return. "Ouch! Stef, that really hurt." She pouted sadly, giving her 'loving' boyfriend the sad puppy dog eyes.

"Doesn't work!" Stefan chuckled, pressing a small kiss against Caroline's pouting lips.

"Oh, don't be such a baby, I was in love with you! And I still am."

Damon almost gagged when the power couple started to have a full-out make-out session, while whispering lovey dovey things. When the dirty ones came, that was his cue to leave.

"I would love to watch free porn featuring my _baby _brother, but I will pass this time," Damon said annoyed.

Caroline let go of Stefan (finally!) and turned back to Damon, who was about to leave the parlor.

* * *

"Hey."

Caroline looked up from the book she was reading, and saw Elena standing in her flower dress that she had on last night as well. It made Caroline frown, but she didn't comment on it.

Wait… She wasn't the type to let anything slide, she wanted answers, and she wanted it now!

"Okay, who is it?" Caroline closed her book, throwing it over the couch. Elena looked troubled, and played with a brown lock between her fingers.

"Who is what?" she asked softly, not looking at her blonde friend that was sitting on the couch with a not so happy look on her face.

"Who are you fucking, and since when?!" Elena jumped at Caroline's voice, and was surprised that her friend even used a word like that.

"I.. .I mean-" Caroline interrupted her before she could even start.

"Cut the crap. You're breaking his heart, you know."

It was like something snapped inside of Elena, but the feeling of rage came out of her like waves.

"No, I am not! I am sorry that your stupid match-making show is getting ruined." Elena yelled, balling her fist while controlling her anger.

"Oh please, you liked him! I saw it, you-"

"That's it, Caroline! You just think I do, when I don't! Stop trying to fix things!"

"I JUST WANT MY FRIENDS TO BE HAPPY!"

"YOU'RE MAKING ME FEEL HORRIBLE!"

Caroline gasped loudly, when the words left Elena's lips. It was like her heart broke in tiny little pieces.

"I'm sorry," Elena muttered, realizing what she just had said. She didn't want to hurt Caroline, she really didn't. But she was done with people bossing her around, saying what she did feel and didn't.

Caroline faced the ground, and nodded faintly. "I'm sorry too, Elena."

* * *

The doorbell rang loudly and Caroline stood up from the couch, she was sitting on the past few hours.

It had been two hours ago when she had her huge fight with Elena. Now that she thought about it, she felt really bad. She was supposed to be her best friend. Who knew everything about her, and was there for her, but she was only thinking about herself, and not what Elena felt. When the bell rang again, Caroline let out a frustrated sigh and yanked the door open.

A unknown man was standing on the other side of the apartment, with a tiny pull on the left side of his mouth.

"Is Elena here?"


	15. Only If I Get Caught

**I really love all the reviews we're getting, and it's very nice to know what people are thinking with us, or trying to figure this story out. And hopefully you guys will stay interested! SHIT IS ABOUT TO GET REAL!**

* * *

"I don't know," Caroline groaned, rubbing over her forehead. "I uhm… she might be? But I don't think she is."

"I see… Do you know when she might be back, beautiful?"

The compliment sat uneasy with Caroline, who had been fidgety and uncomfortable for the majority of the day already – since realization had set in during her conversation with Stefan and Damon, finally smart enough to link together what she knew and saw; then confronting Elena with it, and the fight, and- ugh. "Ugh."

"Would you mind if I waited inside?" He smiled, and Caroline guessed he was sort of handsome, but ew.

"Yeah, I do mind." She slammed the door closed, and leaned against it. "Don't think about coming back, you creep."

If this was whoever Elena was having an affair with, then she was going to throw up.

* * *

Elena had been wandering. She was furious, but not at Caroline. Not really. After all, Caroline had not pressured her into lying about dating Damon, nor had she pressured her into anything at all. Sure, often one Caroline Forbes could come across as pushy – but Elena was used to that, she knew how to handle it.

Then why had she caved? Then why hadn't she just _told_ Caroline for the however-manyeth time that she didn't feel anything for Damon?

Now everything was a mess, but Elena was intent on clearing at least some of it up. She shouldn't fake a relationship anymore, to begin with.

So what had started as directionless wandering became a journey in direction of the Salvatore boarding house. She was unsure of how to tell Damon that their little arrangement had to stop. Especially considering that Damon had actually been pleasant to be around for a change. No more annoying pick-up lines, no more unwanted gazes; Damon had been not unlike a true gentleman the entire time.

She waited in front of his door for a while, a _long _while, trying to figure out how she was going to do this, but realized that there was no way she could figure it out in less than an hour. So she rang the bell.

Part of her had hoped that Stefan would open up. It would give her a bit more time. But no, of course not.

Damon looked nice. A black wife beater, dark blue swim trunks that came to his knees and seemed still a little damp. His hair was ruffled and messy, but that's the way she liked it. It made him look better.

"Hey, Elena."

Elena smiled sadly and walked in past him, heading outside. At least Damon wouldn't be able to make a scene if they had their talk outside. His neighbors' presence would ensure that.

"Should I get you something to drink?" Damon asked, head popped out. "Stefan and I made a whole bowl of sangria this morning."

She smiled and nodded. "Sure." Alcohol sounded perfect, maybe it would ease her into a comfortable enough mood to tell him.

A few minutes later Damon joined her, handing her a tall glass of sangria that had one of those paper parasols in them, as well as a spoon and a straw.

"Thank you." She took a few sips through the straw, fished out a piece of strawberry to munch on, and then set it to the side. Damon followed suit, and she took his now empty hands in her own. "There's something we have to talk about."

The next things all happened fairly quick. One moment he sat at her side, the next he had knelt in front of her and pulled her head towards his, kissing her.

And they had kissed before, to keep up with their little play – but never like this. She had never been aware that Damon was capable of making poetry with his lips, of making her feel what apparently he felt. She tangled her hands in his hair, not sure if to push him away or to hold him close, lips still first and moving next.

She regained her ability to think when she couldn't breathe anymore and finally pushed him away. "Damon!"

His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were closed as he lay in the grass, where she had pushed him down to. "Yes, Elena?"

"I…" She swallowed, her lips still tingling. Why did he have to? _Why_? "Why did you do that?"

"You're my girlfriend, aren't you? Fake, yes, but… I just had to show you that I'm more than you think. Because I know. You don't like me. But you've never given me a chance and I _deserve _one." He opened his eyes, propping himself up on one arm. "Haven't I been amazing to you?"

"Yeah, you…"

"So give me one evening to try and convince you that I could be good for you… We can cook dinner together and swim, and just have a good time. And if you still don't feel anything for me, then we can stop this… this arrangement of ours, and you can look for someone that does make your heart run away."

Elena sighed, extending her hand to pull Damon up. "Okay. _One_ evening. Just, let me text… Caroline. To tell her that I won't be home for a while. Okay?"

Damon's face lit up as he nodded.

Her glass spat into slivers and broken pieces when Katherine read the text she had just received. 'Have to cancel tonight, Damon stuff'. She did not trust Elena around Damon. The fool was completely smitten with the girl; and while Katherine understood, oh _how _she understood, she didn't approve of it.

What if Elena came to her senses and realized that Damon was a much better option? One that wouldn't have to be kept a secret to the world, one that wouldn't be judged…

She wiped the drops of liquor and the bits of glass from her palm, getting up. She winced on the inside at the prospect of what she was going to do, but if that was what it took to keep Elena from leaving her, than so be it.

She knew better, she knew that if she really… felt for Elena, she had to let her be happy with someone else. But she was selfish and she had never felt this alive.

* * *

Katherine came to a halt at the beginning of the Salvatore's street (yeah, she knew where it was, so what? It wasn't like, stalkerish. Nope,) when something caught her eyes.

No, _someone_.

Klaus.

And he was almost at the Salvatore's house.


	16. Gone

**Sorry that it took so long to update! **

* * *

Covered in blood and tears. A lot of blood, but even worse with the tears. In front of her stood Elena, clothes misplaced, hair looked like a lion's mane and the poor girl was covered with her boyfriend´s blood.

Anger, a lot of anger at the mention of the word boyfriend. Katherine knew it was going to happen, she knew it wasn´t her who was going to make her happy, but what did hurt the most was the moment she looked through the window and saw her, laughing and smiling and cooking with him.

Katherine had almost wanted to walk away and force herself to forget she ever felt something for the girl, but she wasn't the only one on her way to pay Elena Gilbert a visit. Klaus was right behind her. It was horrible; not for her, but not too far away from it.

The look in Elena's eyes when her precious lover got stabbed made Katherine's heart burn and die all over again.

"Is he going to be okay?" hearing her soft voice was ripping at her chest, but Katherine didn't turn around. She was to focused on the beautiful sight out of her window. "Katherine?" she still didn't answer, she wasn't in the mood to be answering questions.

Katherine felt her tiny hand touch her bicep, and flinched at the contact. It shocked her, and it shocked Elena too.

"He's going to be fine."

Her own voice sounded low and painful, even hateful. Elena could feel it, it was making a shiver go down her spine out of fear. "Kath, please!" Elena yelled, grabbing her arm again.

"What Elena!" This time Katherine turned around and looked Elena straight in the eye. She could feel the fear dripping of her doppelganger, and for once she didn't give a shit.

"You…you… need to explain… about you being a vampire" Elena muttered. "There's nothing to explain"

"Yes there is" Elena said more firmly, not letting go of her arm. She was grabbing it pretty tight, but not that she actually felt it.

"Okay fine. I drink blood, we're doppelgangers. I changed cause he was following me, and now he wants you"

Elena glared at Katherine, and got a glare in return. She really wasn't in the mood for it. She needed time to think. And right on cue, Kol came walking down the stairs of her mansion with his usual smirk on his face.

"The boy is breathing again. He will be healed in seconds" The British man, took a seat on one of the sofas, and lazily putting his feet on the coffee table.

"I'm going to see him" Elena whispered, afraid if she said it loud enough something horrible would happen. When Elena was completely out of sight, Katherine grabbed herself a glass of the finest whiskey and took a sip.

"What are we going to do?"

"We're going to just wait, Kath. I have a plan, remember?" The strange part about the plan was that she still didn't know what the plan was.

However, not that she was going to say it out loud but she really was thankful for the guy for coming in time. Katherine knew she wouldn't be able to protect everyone from Klaus on her own, because of that Damon was almost killed.

"I'm doubting your plan, Kol. When are you going to tell me what your plan even is?!" Katherine sighed, slamming her drink of the coffee table, making the glass break and fall to the floor.

"Damn Kath, what's got your panties in a bunch?!" Kol chuckled, as he brushed a bit of glass off his shoes.

Katherine didn´t answer him, just stared out of the window again. She already made her decision before she even knew she was making it. She was going to let her go.

Continuing ignoring Kol. Katherine walked up the stairs to the room where Damon was resting.

She was going to let Elena go.

* * *

Elena was confused, torn, and most of all tired. It was because of her that Damon was now lying on Katherine's bed. It was her fault that Katherine felt the way she did now. Katherine didn't have to tell her, it was all to be read in her eyes.

For once in her life, she didn't know what to do.

"Elena?" Her voice made Elena turn around, and like always her breath hitched in her throat. That one single moment she knew. She hadn't wanted to see it before, but it was obvious.

_She was in love with Katherine._

She hated that an attack had to prove it to her. She laughed, and had fun with Damon, but that was it. _It was just fun. _He wouldn't make her heart beat faster or would make her blush when he gave her one of his looks. Katherine did all of that by just standing in front of her, doing nothing.

"Elena, we need to talk." Katherine's voice sounded strange and terribly soft. It was making Elena uneasy, but she ignored the feeling and smiled brightly.

"I need to tell you something too!"

"Elena…" Katherine swallowed before she took a step into the room. "I can't do this anymore."

Cold. Cold was what she felt right then. It was like time stopped and she couldn't breathe.

"What do you mean?" Her own voice surprised her, it cracked and it was only after that that she realized she was crying. The first few tears fell down her face, making a path down her cheeks.

"You deserve to be happy."

"But I am…"

"With him." Katherine stated, like it was obvious.

"No! I want to be happy with you."

She saw the flicker in Katherine's eyes when she said the words she never thought she would be saying to a vampire or even her twin for that matter. "You'll get over it" She said harshly.

"No I will not, please Kath! Don't do this. I'm sorry!" Elena cried, running to Katherine and grabbing her hands. She noticed that Katherine was crying too. The badass vampire actually had tears running down her face.

"Please don't make this harder than it already is. I'm not good for you, be happy with him." Katherine pulled out her hands and took a step back.

"Kath..." Elena pleaded, trying to grab her hands again, but Katherine took another step back.

"You can show yourself out."

Katherine gave her one last look before she turned around, and walked out of the room.

"But I'm in love with you," Elena sobbed, but Katherine didn't turn around.

_Without them knowing, there was someone else in the room who heard every single thing._


	17. Karma

**After a decade we finally updated the story, here you go, and please leave a review or some feedback, we always like to know what you guys think.**

* * *

Elena was torn between hating the fight she'd had with Caroline because it meant she had no one to seek comfort in, and loving the fight she'd had with Caroline because it meant at least her friend left her alone.

She didn't feel like talking about what had happened, about none of it.

Damon being stabbed. Katherine being a vampire. Katherine altogether, their secret relationship… Had it really been a relationship? This sure did feel like a break-up.

From the moment she'd come home she hadn't seen a living soul. She had sneaked into the house, showered before Caroline could see her in the state she had been in, and burned the clothes. And ever since she'd been in her room, only leaving for bathroom or kitchen breaks.

She didn't feel like doing anything at all.

She knew it couldn't last, knew it _wouldn't_ last; but right now she was too bummed to care.

When she awoke from an impromptu nap in the late afternoon three days after it happened (she would think and think and sometimes she would cry and then eventually she would pass out, regardless of time, regardless of _anything_), she was momentarily disoriented.

Feeling around, she patted the mattress, and _swore _she felt someone before she felt nothing beneath her fingers at all. She sighed.

That had happened a lot. She would see flashes of Katherine, think she felt her presence – only to realize her senses were fooling her, over and over again.

She checked the time on her phone – five pm fifteen – and saw she had a few texts. She was tempted to just delete them all without ever reading them, but knew she couldn't do that. Maybe it was important.

Maybe it was Katherine.

However, the texts she'd gotten surprised her.

**Carebear (12:40am): **Look, I'm sorry ok? Ily.

**Carebear (12:45am): **U ignoring me?

**Carebear (01:10pm): **Just came to check, u're sleeping. Sorry. :)

**Stefan Salvatore (02:01pm): **Damon's healed and well. I thought you'd want to know.

**Unknown (04:32pm): **We need your help. Katherine'll be here. – Kol & Elijah

Kol and Elijah?

* * *

Instead of texting 'Kol and Elijah' back she got showered, dressed and headed for the Salvatore boarding house. She needed to see with her own eyes that Damon was alright. How could he have healed so quickly? She had _seen_ the knife planted into him, how deep it had been, how much blood he had lost…

She had to blink the images in her head away because they made her stomach churn.

She damned the bus for driving so slow, rest her head against the glass and thought. The hate she felt for herself was making her insides burn. How could she have put Damon through this? Through all of this? Make him pretend to be her boyfriend so she could cover up her scandalous 'relationship' with a woman that looked exactly like her; who was a vampire, fun fact. And then she'd made him vulnerable for an attack, for whichever reason.

He could've _died_.

Aching tears pricked in her eyes but she was done crying. She was not the victim, she was to _blame_. She wasn't going to let herself cry.

She almost _bolted_ out of the bus when it finally came to a halt near her destination and she paced quickly, reaching the house faster than she thought was humanly possible. Humanly. Goddamnit.

Damon opened the door after three of her knocks.

Elena's eyes widened, he was walking shirtless and _there wasn't even a scar_. She stepped closer, threw the concept of personal space in the wind and moved her fingers over his chest, examining, trying to find _something_ that proved what she couldn't get out of her head had actually happened.

"Good day to you too, Elena," he said, and Elena cowered back, but only because he didn't sound like he usually did. Not as playful, not as flirty. Not as Damon.

"You're okay."

He nodded. "I'm okay."

Elena released a heavy breath, eyes still wandering over his chest. _How is this possible?_ "I'm glad. I was worried you-"

"Stop."

"But-"

"No, stop." Damon tilted her head up a little and looked straight at her. "I don't need you to worry about me. I don't need you to do anything about, for or with me. I get it. You're faking."

"No!" Elena's posture drooped slightly. "I really did worry about you."

"Fine. You worried about me. That's a first." He leveled her a cold gaze. "Have a good day."

And just like that she was looking at ebony brown wood, polished and adorned with the house number.

So he was angry at her? Good. He should be. She had put him in danger and did nothing to save him. She deserved to be angry at.

* * *

An hour later she stood in front of another house. Not Katherine's. 'Kol and Elijah', who she'd texted back after the fiasco with Damon, had given her an address to go to. Part of her was paranoid, afraid this was just a trap and she would be stabbed, just like Damon…

But she couldn't think like that.

Besides, they said Katherine would be there and Elena craved for a chance to explain herself. Damon had every reason to be angry at her, but Katherine had no right to just end what they had without giving Elena the opportunity to say anything.

The man she'd seen at Katherine's house, far before things between them got serious, opened.

A pang went through her heart, but she bit on her cheek to not let it show.

"You're here. Perfect. Come on in, miss Elena," he stepped aside and held open the door. With her hands fisted in the pockets of her jacket she went inside. "I'm Elijah. Kol's in the living room. We're glad you could come this quickly."

"And Katherine?" Elena asked, trying hard not to grit her teeth.

"She'll be with us shortly."

Elena was led into the living room. It was huge, consisted of leather couches and carpets woven from expensive-looking, colourful threads in patterns that she recognized from history class in high school. A fire place stood solemnly on the opposite side of the room, hints of fires far away.

Kol lay on one of the couches as if he was about to be drawn like a French girl. He smiled even wider when he saw Elena. "Hello there, princess."

Elena looked down as she shuffled to another couch and sat down, hands folded in her lap. "What do you need me for?"

"Ah, not one to beat around the bush… Just like Katerina." She could hear the smile in Elijah's voice. "Very well. Let's get to explaining then shall we, brother?"

Kol sat up. "Katherine's going to kill me for telling her twin the plan before I tell her, but yes, let's."


	18. Of Plans And Plots

**A very small chapter, but enjoy! and thanks for your wonderful reviews!**

* * *

"Wait a second. So I'm part of some curse." Elena looked between Kol and Elijah, trying to keep from fainting. Her head was hurting with a dull headache that was slowly picking up.

"My brother needs to sacrifice the doppelganger to be able to turn people into a hybrid – that's a cross between a vampire and a werewolf."

A few weeks ago she had been just another Florida U-student, and now… now she didn't even know who she was anymore. She didn't understand how everything had gone from a party to this in hardly any time.

The curse involved a man named Klaus, Kol and Elijah's brother, and he was the most selfish man Elena had ever heard about. His plan was cruel and terrifying. Elena wasn't ready to die.

"But enough about that for now. The plan is for you to switch with Katherine." Elijah said finally.

Elena still didn't know if Elijah was with Katherine or if they had some kind of romantic history, but thinking about it made her uneasy and looking at him made her uncomfortable. However, she'd heard him loud and clearly.

_Switching with Katherine._

"How can we do that?"

"Yes Elijah, tell us… how?"

Elena was startled by the sudden presence of Katherine, right behind her, her voice carrying around the whole room. She hadn't expected Katherine to come mid-conversation – or at all, that Katherine coming had just been a way to get her to come.

Elena turned around against better reason and was pretty much surprised what she saw in front of her. Clearly she wasn't the only one. Even Kol had a frown on his face, but Elijah seemed indifferent to it, only the look in his eyes faltering momentarily.

The always so sexy Katherine had been replaced by a genuine woman. A genuine woman that stopped caring, mind you. Hair in a bun, black leggings, dress under a grey hoodie. But even with this new look she managed to look amazing.

_More human._

Katherine, who just rolled her eyes at the reaction she was getting, took a seat next to Elena like it was nothing. But Elena definitely didn't feel like it was nothing.

Elijah finally explained. Katherine had to pretend to being Elena, and in return, Elena had to pretend to being Katherine; so when Klaus finally showed up, he'd take Katherine thinking she's Elena, and they could use the moment he found out to strike. The plan was pretty genius, but Elena was terrified nevertheless.

"You guys must be forgetting that I'm a vampire, and Klaus will notice I am not her. I don't have a pulse, I don't have heartbeat." Katherine said.

"We've got that covered. At least, Kol promised me we do. He's got a witch for a girlfriend."

An original vampire with a witch? Elena's headache was acting up harshly now.

"Being Kol's girlfriend… Poor witch,"Katherine snickered.

"Shut up, Katherine. You like to bang _yourself_," Kol shot back, and it made both Katherine and Elena flinch.

"Both of you, shut up," Elijah butted in before everything could get out of hand. They didn't have much time, and it was clear that Katherine and Elena would need a few days to get ready.

"All you have to do is switch. Bonnie will make sure Klaus' senses are fooled into thinking Katherine's alive and Elena's dead."

For a beat it was silent, then, "I don't know how to act like her." Elena admitted it quietly, ashamed. The woman she believed to be in love with, and she had no idea what made Katherine. Katherine.

"I anticipated that. And Kol was so nice to get you two a chance to spend time together."

Kol nodded and grinned, whipping out two tickets. Elena's eyes widened slightly.

"Disney World?!" Katherine sighed, getting up to snatch the tickets out of Kol's hand. "Fine, but only because _you_ paid for it. Didn't know you liked me enough to spend money on me."

Kol let it slide, but only because Elijah put a hand on his brother's arm to warn him not to react.

"Don't I have a say in any of this?" Elena asked, rubbing over her temples. She just wanted to sleep.

Katherine gave her twin a glare. "You don't. If you want to live, you do as you're told."

No words were said after that. Katherine walked away without saying goodbye, Kol followed shortly after with his phone pressed to his cheek, and awkwardly Elena bid Elijah goodnight before fleeing the place.

* * *

**You guys probably are like, really Disney World? It's probably the strangest plot twist in a story, but a lot is going to go down there, and who doesn't like Disney World?! **


	19. Fall For You

_Best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting._

Elena had needed twelve hours to sleep off the headache. Upon waking up she discovered Katherine had texted her, saying (not asking, no, _saying_) that they would be going to Disney World the next day.

The rest of the day Elena spent making up with Caroline. There were tears involved, more hugging than a person could desire, and a few movies while lazily lounging on the couch with popcorn. It was alright, and it was fun, but it still felt the tiniest bit of awkward.

They would push through it eventually, Elena figured.

Earlier than usual she went to bed that night, buzzing partly with excitement and partly with nerves that made the tips of her body – the tips of her fingers, her toes and her ears – tingle. Achingly. Not the pleasant kind of tingling, nor the butterfly kind of tingling. No, the aching kind of tingling.

"Good morning," was the first thing she heard the moment her sleep began clearing out, even before she heard her alarm tune. Cracking open her eyes, she saw Katherine standing on the opposite side of the room. "Hurry up, we don't have all day time."

Which, yeah, they totally had - but Elena wasn't going to say anything. (She knew she probably _should_, she should stand up to Katherine more, demand to be heard and all. But she couldn't bring herself to actually do it.)

Quickly she showered and got dressed, all of it in the bathroom while Katherine stood on the other side of the wall. It was odd knowing that, and the more she woke up the more nervous she got about it.

And thinking "it's just Katherine" didn't help because she'd realized how little she knew of the girl, how much she'd believed in this idea of a person and the idea had burst like a bubble, leaving her with a lonely and cold feeling.

"I'm ready. Can we stop somewhere for breakfast?"

And they did. Before they drove onto Disney World's parking lot they had pancakes in a restaurant down the street from the amusement park, with accompanying cup of coffee. Katherine hardly touched her food, Elena stuffed it in her mouth as if it was the last thing she'd eat, ever.

(Eating made the uneasy feeling slightly better.)

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

And silence began again as they made the trip down the street to the entrance of the resort, and Elena wondered if they'd _actually _get to talking during their day together at all.

* * *

Disney World was amazing. Elena was having a great time, even though it had only been a small hour and Katherine hadn't warmed to her yet. But they'd gone on a few rides already, and Elena would gush over the cute kids when they would stand in line.

But they just left one area and entered another. An area full of _terrifying _rides, of ghost rides and of hidden people jumping from behind bushes to jump scare.

And jumping Elena did, much to Katherine's amusement.

"You think it's funny, huh?" Elena asked, sucking her lip into her mouth. In the process of being scared she'd bitten down on it, and now there was a few drops of blood pouring out of them. She didn't know if it was the scent of her blood or the fact that she talked to her directly, but finally, Katherine actually talked to her.

"Your face was hilarious, yes."

"Oh wow, thanks." Elena poked her tongue out, releasing her lip. It had stopped bleeding already.

"You know me, always complimenting."

"I… don't really know you. That's why we're here…"

"Oh, right. You can tell me stuff if you want."

So as they waited in line for some ride, Elena did. She told about how she figured out she was adopted when she was six and how it shook her world completely, but how Miranda and John will forever be her parents, no matter biological or not. She told about how she'd wanted to be a writer since she started middle school and how she had kept more diaries already than she could count. But she also told more recent things, trying to let Katherine know that she had meant everything and Damon had meant close to nothing.

She just wanted Katherine to understand.

"You know how you said you can't pretend to be me?" Katherine asked as they climbed into their cart. Elena nodded. "I don't even need this day. I know all your little mannerisms."

The sound of thunder and screaming covered the fact that Elena didn't know what to say.

* * *

"Come on, Kath," Elena giggled, ushering Katherine closer to the big Mickey Mouse that stood dancing a bit away from them. They'd warmed up to one another again, and it almost felt like before. "Just one picture. Please?"

But it ended up being more than just one picture. Elena kept snapping more and more of them, eager to capture this moment, Katherine's actual and _genuine _smile until Mickey had enough of it.

"That wasn't just one picture…"

Elena shrugged and grinned. "I know."

* * *

Some rides scared the crap out of Elena so badly she ducked into Katherine's arms.

And the older woman let her.

* * *

By the end of the evening they'd spent a solid amount of fourteen hours together, and Elena was convinced she'd gotten to know Katherine better without the woman actually having to open up greatly. She'd been paying attention to little mannerisms, to those typical Katherine things she hadn't really noticed before.

They stood huddled together, watching the Disney parade roll by. Fireworks spat against the dark night sky. Elena, not able to stop herself, slipped her hand in Katherine's and squeezed it.

"Today was great," she sighed, resting her head on top of Katherine's shoulder.

"Yeah, it was."

And as more fireworks colored the sky yellow, red, green, blue and purple the two Petrovas stood hand-in-hand at the side, watching, sharing a silence that carried many words.

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you over again._


End file.
